. Cyclopedia of farm crops. Farm produce; Agriculture. LESPEDEZA LUPINE 397 The seeding also may be done in the spring in any of the small grains, and preferably harrowed in; and the seed has been used successfully in grass mixtures for pastures. Lespedeza should occupy the land for two to four years. It can follow cotton or any other late fall crop. Harvesting and uses. Hay.— For hay, Japan clover should be cut before it is over-ripe ; a good practice is to mow when about half of the lower crop of seed has matured. This provides for reseeding the next year on the same field, or by spreading t
. Cyclopedia of farm crops. Farm produce; Agriculture. LESPEDEZA LUPINE 397 The seeding also may be done in the spring in any of the small grains, and preferably harrowed in; and the seed has been used successfully in grass mixtures for pastures. Lespedeza should occupy the land for two to four years. It can follow cotton or any other late fall crop. Harvesting and uses. Hay.— For hay, Japan clover should be cut before it is over-ripe ; a good practice is to mow when about half of the lower crop of seed has matured. This provides for reseeding the next year on the same field, or by spreading the manure as above suggested. When the saving of seed is no object, the plants should be cut when in full bloom. On good land one to three tons of hay per acre will be secured. The hay may be cocked after thorough wilting on the day it is cut; one or two days in cocks is sufficient before final storage. It should be handled carefully to prevent loss of leaves. Tracy found lespedeza, with cotton seed as the grain feed, to be the cheapest milk-producing ration. The hay commands a ready sale in the market. On the hill lands near Baton Rouge, Louisiana, it is one of the leading hay crops. Seed.—For seed production, half-ripe hay maybe threshed with a loss of value to the hay, or the seed may be gathered from siftings of the hay. To get the most seed, however, the crop should stand until a large part of the seeds are ripe. The self- rake reaper is used for harvesting, although the mower can be used when the stems are sufficiently erect. Pasture.—Lespedeza aflFords valuable pasturage for cattle, horses, hogs or sheep, though they must be accustomed to it in order to relish it. By some it is considered the best pasture plant for the poorer clay soils of the cotton-belt. As it will not start till the soil is warm, the pasturage will seldom be available before May. Under favorable moisture conditions it will continue until frost. It can be planted to advantage in all permanent pas
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