SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19432, 17 October 1925, Page 23 (Supplement)

SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER

Subterranean clover is an annual plant with a prostrate habit of growth, the stems spreading over the ground to form a dense mat. The flowers are usually white, or a very pale shade pink, and are carried in clusters of two or three upon comparatively short stalks. These stalks increase in length very considerably after flowering, and turning downwards, tend to bury the seed in the ground. It is on account of this peculiarity that the plant has received the name “subterranean.” Subterranean clover is strictly an annual; but, owing to its habit of burying its fruits, it readily re-seeds itself under favourable conditions, and, from a farming point of view, behaves more like a permanent plant than an annual. It has long been known on dry, sandy soils in parts of central and southern England, but has not been recorded from Scotland or Ireland.

According to Professor Stapledon, the agricultural possibilities of this plant were first realised in Australia. There it was at one time used only for repressing weeds by its dense habit of growth. Lately it has been used also as a sheep feed, and is said to mako good nay. The authorities at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station at Aberystwyth have carried out, experiments with the plant since 1920, and their comments upon it are of considerable interest. They consider that subterranean clover may be of use in two ways —(1) As a •atch crop to provide late autumn ana winter keep; (2) included in a mixture of grasses and clovers intended for a temporary ley. In the latter case, of course, ihe plant would be expected to re-seed itself each year. With regard to (1), the clover is not limited to sup plying winter keep. If it be sown in March or April it will provide abundant summer keep, and if sown in May and June it will grow well throughout late summer and autumn.

Judging from the reports, it is th<? considered opinion of the Welsh Station that subterranean clover is undoubtedly a forage plant of great value, particularly for sheep. But it must be 'remembered that Aberystwyth is in the extreme west of the country, and has a climate very different from, say, that cf East Anglia. Therefore, as the station points out, it is premature to say that this plant is of universal importance. In the wet district in which the station haj tested it subterranean clover has rc-see'ded itself very successfully from year to year. But there is evidence showing that in dry districts reseeding is much Jess successful. In the south some experiments have resulted in the almost complete failure of the clover during the second season. Further, it must b? tome in mind that; the Aberystwyth experiments were carried out with the Australian variety of subterranean clover; experiments with the indigeneous variety may give different results. The available evidence rather suggests that the native kind is likely to be more successful in re-seeding itself than the Australian when grown in cirv situations.

Bearing in mind the above information, it is as well for growers to approach subterranean clover with an epen mind. Small but properly conducted tests on his own land will soon show the individual farmer whether the clover is likely to be of use to him or not.