xt73j9606z7p https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt73j9606z7p/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1925 journals kaes_circulars_001_4_179 English Lexington : The Service, 1913-1958. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 179 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 179 1925 2014 true xt73j9606z7p section xt73j9606z7p 5
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE  
Extension Division i
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean and Director l
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CIRCULAR NO. 179 i g
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LESPEDEZA IN KENTUCKY . i
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Lexington, Ky. 3
February, 1925  
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Publishcci in connection with the nazricniiurzil <·xtcn: ·   `E  
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  li   J l 1. Lespedeza is 0118 of tl1e most valuable legum111ous crops  
z   - 5 . . . . . y _,;g
    `·‘. { _l·- ; · for Kentucky because of its wide soil adaptation. It is the  
    011e legnminons pasture crop that will grow 011 very thin  
    . · . .  
g*?€.{j»yjr;gg ’·.‘ F  and acid soils 1n the State. gy
  ¥   yy _ _ yy;
 w l »,§; 2. Lespedeza Wl1€11 present 111 pastures greatly increases the 1-;;
l .1_, Q .. »‘y`  fi amount of pasture produced because of its ability to con-  
jw.   `;,'?*· _.°` . · · · s l1l1<
i   ;; tmne growth during hot weather. lt 1S also quite drouth- be
  ` resistant. There are few instances where the addition of   . ,
l q .—T<-· :¢ ·< . .   S11
ii ;_.   $3%} `;i»i Lespedeza seed to the pasture mixture will not prove proiit- fl:. Ca
 g   abie. ‘»si— ba
:_   » _ _ _ »  
t*-’:_2é;‘;·$· .-_. Q el fl? 3. On good la11d Les aedeza gives verv good vields of h1 h- 5 an
t‘ t-. —.J*¤*‘e:‘;_l ly D 7 U " D ' ..
l   fj lf ualit r ha 2 On thin u land soils the Kentucky Ex eriment   na
,   ,,. yw . __ ZY V v_
  ».‘y f§‘€‘jv;§g·;£i.f;g   1 Station has found that good hay yields can be obtamed by Zé 111
  _—a_.   · the use of acid phosphate alone. The crop has therefore   be
    ` great possibilities for the production of hay in regions of  
  thin soils where liming is for any reason impracticable. 1  
1 ·1—·—   .·=·1   .  
    4. The seed of Lespedeza can be easily saved on the farm by   I_
  the "Seed pan" method. Good yields are obtained by this » K g
y. 1; gj.;:.i:;1;_j   _  . . . . _Q, O1`
E   5; method of collecting and the cost is light. Many farmers IH si Sp
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¤:;j;_i§._g;1.;;j;y| —; the western and southern parts of the State will find the   an
lj     saving of seed for market a pro1'ita.ble enterprise. .:?_ OC
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 EXTENSION CIRCULAR NO.179 I 
PS Lespedeza in Kentucky  
iw By E. J. KINNEY and RALPH KENNEY , i
1111 t
X. l t
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he . . A ‘  
m- Lespedeza, or Japan clover, has been established 111 Ken- p I
th- tucky for perhaps 30 years but its usefulness has gust begun to _ {
Of be appreciated. As a matter of faet, it has not l)(3(5l1 many years  
Ht- since farmers regarded it as an undesirable weed, chiefly be- 1
cause it was supposed to cause horses pastured on It to slobber — ,
badly. Opinion l1€lS changed rapidly in recent years, however, _ 
;h— and now Lespedeza is not o11ly welcomed wl1ere it appears `  
int naturally, b11t to an increasing extent the seed is being included  
by in pasture mixtures for all types of soil, Hlld in sonie cases it is  
ire being grown for hay éllltl seed production.  
of I t
DESCRIPTION  
by liespedeza is a native of eastern Asia. O It was tirst 11otieed Q
his growing in tlllS country in lS4G near Monticello, Ga. Just how  
in or when it was introduced is not known. 'Undoubtedly·1t had  
he Spread to various seet1o11s of the South prior to tl1c Civil lVar, g
` and during that eonfliet a very general sp1·ead all over the South J
occurred. liespedeza is a summer annual with rather slender,  
wiry ste111s. lin tl1i11 stands the plants branch freely, but spar-  
ingly where the stand is thick. The height of tl1c plants varies  
from 4 or 5 i11ehes to 2 feet or more, depending upon the p1·o- i
ductivity of the soil. 5
Apparently the seeds germinate at as low temperatiire as 1
those of red clover b11t the plants appear later i11 the spring be- ' y
cause germination requires a much longer period. This prob- i
ably accounts for the fact tl1at the young plants are seldoni i11-  
t
I

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  4 Kentucky Li.1)t€‘H$I()’}L Circular N0. 17 .9  
       
     CP? E . ·
  Jured by frost altho quite tender. Tl1e flowers are purple and ,___ an
  inconspicuous. They appear in the late summer a11d tl1e seed . — no
    ripe11s in September a11d October in Kentucky. Lespedeza is ; an
  .-4l i a legume, but 1S 11ot a. member of tl1e clover group, as m1gl1t be ; TO
a‘e;?—€$:·.<{j§:·,g :2 .< ·, . . . ·
rs ? mferred from tl1e name Japan clover. The species so widely ·.
”·i1  °:"i;·‘7Yl?l · Y` . . . . . , 1   cm
  ‘ distributed 111 tl11s country 1S Lcspedezo stmatq., or eoininon Les- p ab
is _   -,5% ‘,.‘. y . . . t
I,  pedeza. There are apparently numerous spec1es, and 0118, Les-   VG-
   .2 . - · `
  pcdcgo grzpulacea, or Korean Lespedeza recently introduced by J ml
:r$¢‘!;.L‘~"=‘3_- §,_Y_  v - · · Q
    s the United States De Jairtment of A¤·r1eulture ro1111ses to be of ,
__ __£:_§,§;`E,.g . ' ._ :> > 31'1
g»\;:x;` .; jjj _  _ . . · · ,
  Sll])€1‘lO1` value under certani co11d1t1ons. It matures seed con- th,
   ‘  siderably earlier tl1an IllG common sort, which makes it adapted ·
dei'}? 1.;} ii-}? ( $1.  · · - A
    to latitudes where the common will 11ot reseed itself before frost, _
  At the Te11nessee Experiment Station it l1as bee11 found
  that the co1nn1on SPECIES 1S quite variable a11d so111e Stl`EllllS wlneh .
  seem to have much merit have bee11 isolated. All or praetieallv 1
    V " ’ ‘
E3: ‘.g·\#,·‘Pé;;·,&, J; V; . . • .
  all, con11nerc1al seed available at the present tnne, however, is
*.. @*11      if —
  of tl1e common type.
  In sections where farmers are not familiar w1tl1 Lespedeza, 1
  ag  l1op clover is sometimes n11stake11 for 1t. Tl1e two have few points , ,
`»j}‘;:g©¥ Q:§·*;_' §{  . . l T
  A of reseinblanee, however. Hop clover lS a winter annual, the .;
,z<·;.$;_—·     ` . . . . . V
  · plants €1ppCH1‘111g lll the fall El1l(l living over \\’11]t€1’. I11 tl1e _ ,—
  spring a rapid growth OCClll'S, the plants blooming in early sum- »*·
  mer.i" Tl1e yellow blossoms are bor11e o11 long flower-stalks and I
  . are \e15 p1o1n111e11t. flop clover 1l1)€llS 1ts seed 2lllCl tl1e plants
  die at wheat harvest t11ne or by the time Lespedeza has fa1rly 1
  started its growth. It is the hop clover that in SOIll€ bluegrass
    . .
  sp  seed fields lS illl1lOSlC as high as the bluegrass seed stalks. Some
  growers think that it will interfere with seed harvest. The C1
`__y1.f• wink gp 
`~-GK   ’.`,_` ¤ I
  seeds of l1op clover are much smaller tl1an those ot Lcspedeza 6
  which are perhaps three-fourths as large as those of red clover,
  ,_     2lllCl always 1'€I1l2llll in tl1e hull. ti
    et;
 ;§%_:Q__Z  THE USEFULNESS OF LESPEDEZA T a`
  LVSDGJQZH has certain characteristics which give it par- p
  tieular value as a forage Hll(-l SOll nnproving crop, The most og
_   *5*  1lllpO1‘l2llll3 of these 1S 1lS ability to grow 011 thin so1ls, acid 50115, t1
f·—  ‘?·   ,1;.
‘,     *Tenn, Experiment Station Bulletin No. 123. k
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_· Lespcdeza in Kentucky 5 1 T `
l and other soils where the usual leguminous pasture crops can- . T
l ` not be grown. Probably there is no soil in Kentucky so poor _
S Q and worn that Lespedeza will 11ot grow and maintain itself 011 it. ‘
B To be convinced of this, 0118 has only to visit a seetio11 where the  
V crop is well established naturally, and note how it has possessed ,
. · ’
" abandoned nelds, waste places, and even gullies. Of course on ,
l· very thin land the growth is sl1ort, but even so it furnishes as `
Y much pasturage as any other crop that could be grown, or more, ~ T
f and at the same time improves the soil'. Tl1e1·e is little doubt `  
l- that Lespedeza can be considered the best of all leguminous · T 1 i
d ‘ 1 . 
d   1;  l¤xi  4;+*},  1 V.  -,1   _ ‘_ ·.~» - 
h * I "Q" #( 3 <;‘=   y   " "~’iL'· 'Q—·’~; :  [v'   '-• = ’¤'}?·”,§' \E‘¢*;;‘l‘i3$-ig}  i¤ ` 
,‘ x   ‘i.‘  $ $.1    ii   `.‘‘‘’ T 1 1 1 T
3   _i1;£{_;é _;.,       .17; -     _ .
· l r;—  :1.   pa   1:e.w   _  1·=1r;,e   ¤· 3-,; ;e_;.a;* . 
[S `‘`,  Q     1   ... . c   “'`'   . · ` ` 
1;   rf   1..f”"°' ·$%w?i¥,,;<·—Ri;'5i;.5:j?l.;¢.}.g:‘ Q  —   ,
f1 ,;;e~¥i»  `  ·· J.?#~·   *4 ···t r   is . Y
3 ·· ;=€.-li?. ..1.     ’>?¢.‘§'.·-_1..· . · {wrt 1,., 5.1/j;{·‘—‘ #-`·='11s·£‘.4-s';:"-“’¢‘l l
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iiZ‘*°=, V .? *3  ·l.   W 2* 1 i   lf    §Z‘§g:¥-',· {_:`·;;g,;.¢g;·?‘,;·,¤,—..w-~‘··,· . ;
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1} . _. _ _.,_ .. ,. . , . ,
SS Fig. 1. A good volunteerierop, ll inches high, in l.‘llCl{l]l{`ll1 County. 4
ae
,,0 crops for the 1mprove111ent of cheap lands in need of l11ne where
Za expensive soil treatment is impracticable. .
ér, The drouth and heat resistance of Lcspedeza makes it of par- ‘ ·l
ticular value as one of the components of pastures of all kinds
and in all sections where the crop can be grown. Lespedeza _,
alone, however, can scarcely be regarded as a praeti<·al pasture A i
n·· pla11t on lands of fair quality because of the late season  
rst of pasturage provided. The plants grow rather slowly for sonic ` __
ls, time and furnish little pasture until midsnmmer. They are ,
killed by the lirst heavy frost of fall. Grasses thrive best dur-  

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  ‘ilo   6 Kentucky Extension Circular N0. 179 t·
nw if _,   ·: =.—
if `     . . . . .  
    »·-r ;.1i .- 1n the s rm and late fall and furnish little forage durin sum- ,,
  Qi  mer. Since it is at this period that Lespedeza thrives best, it is  
  g- - obvious that its presence in pastures adds greatly t0 the amount A
  y of forage produced during the year. While Lespedeza is an   uk
    annual plant, its habit of reseeding itself almost invariably, even hs
      when pastured rather closely, makes it as permanent as the per- ‘ _ a
i’lf:§;[§Y.f??Tl   " ennial grasses- in fact in man cases more so. Les edeza main- .
i; .,   { __ Z3 7 7 J  
,i_`§7.%jé;§».»Zi   · tains itself successful] in astures with redto orchard grass   .
  ».·· aw ;.» . > ¤ ¤ . fo.
¤gé,5`;—§:t,é¢g_i,   timothy and Bermuda grass. Just how it will stand the com- — _· ap
 3 . . . L
    petition of bluegrass on lands particularly adapted tothe latter I { He
  iii  - rass has not been definitel determined as ret. ln a good  
} 1.f—·1:?’*:.’·. ’J‘¤ ‘ 7 y 5 ° .
  iirj  man instances Les edeza is rowing successfull r in bluegrass ‘
_V._h_.., .;;_‘___.: ,3,:,. 7 gl ID 5 D g,
  pastures in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, but it has not  
    spread to any extent to the most fertile sections of this region.  
 5; Last year seed was sown on an old bluegrass pasture on the Ex-  
.-i;-’;.§`—>;féL»§§   Q . .... A
  periment Station farm at Lexington and a fair stand obtained.  
  The clover made quite a good growth. Some farmers in the  
  l Central Bluegrass region have tried it during the last year or so, i-,
 sa; _·_·. . ‘, _ . V . . . . . _,
 ,1, g. and deunite information in regard to its behavior on bluegrass  
    i pastures will soon be available. L  
  ` Lespedeza makes hay of excellentrcpuality and O1] the rich    
  E alluvial lands of Mississippi and Louisiana a great deal IS   ·
    Jizf ·;‘  V . . . . . . i
  harvested for hay. It is only on soils in a productive condition,
 —e·*1E.~?»e az  . . t
  however, that the plants grow tall enough to cut for hay. \Vl11l€
  it probably cannot compete successfully with alfalfa, red clover if
. = ik- =iInf»i1;é;?&   < ‘ .
   sl and other clovers as a hay crop on Hrst class land in Kentucky, b
  there are many instances where it will prove the most practical
    lcguminous hay crop to grow. Since it is not sensitive to acidity, ' m
.3,;;- is i ..g;;- 1; . . . ` a
;;~_La.g,;;.;~ie;t‘ a good CTO]? may be obtained on soils too acid for red clover or i
_;y.j:{%;. ,-Qs}! {W ·· D:
  alfalfa by using phosphatic fertilizers onlv. Lespcdeza can be d
 gg s  ig  . . . . . " .
  sown in small grains in the spring and in favorable seasons may · ~ 1,
  `..·—`· mf  · . . . ` .
  give at good crop of hay after the grain is harvested. This sys- l fl
  JFGYU of €1`0DPl1lQ‘ is practised quite cxtcnsivelv in parts of the   l`
   ·~—; . . " ` (
  South and would undoubtedly give satisfactory results on good 0
  __;:.§i“` ¤~  lands in Kentuck .
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 `c Lespcdeza, in Kentucky 7 _ `
. ‘ CULTURAL METHODS WITH LESPEDEZA .
;   Seeding T ,
' Lespedeza grows naturally over most of Kentucky and,
` like bluegrass in Central Kentucky, it becomes naturally estab- °
° lished in pastures, meadows, or other lands not cultivated for y t t T
i ~ a few years. It is not often satisfactory, however, to depend ‘ ` .
entirely upon natural seeding since a full stand is not obtained T ,
for some three to five years. Furthermore volunteer stands are .  
always irregular. Especially is this liable to be true where K T yl .
, fields have been planted to cultivated crops for two years or y `, 7
  Mr ,¤.T;·.:~ ,# _r=·v.   ,¤> »—,_ __ ~ I ' l
  r   ;‘   TL-S    Q? . Tii-. ' { P"*:= ..‘. »   ?     * T 2
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e e»_§T;a·‘Z:,  · ·¥?'isf   »_2;?¥ T`·  ··¥_; " ‘ '·`»         · ` V 
" i" = *· ;·ir`  " *??"  ’€»a‘   .,2~     -* ..  T. gr `
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· T $3* T  `**Jgi·‘$*;`=.Z"“-~"?;= "rrt ~.·”*:s··"` ’*‘ ¤· ST'.`?-—.·=—·. —°·.   · - ·; e- e ...· · ·.‘*, :".:
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7 p .·.°~—·.·‘%}§£¤§·»;;;i`—i··¢·.T_,,¤      °'"*T:?é; »   ._ ._ H   _'_T     _ . _ _f.$_.·&’T "_ T
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..;‘Q7·f’@$·iT‘EY%`?4$f?,_:i; ·l '»·1` *,35* ’-°*· L‘   J` _ W} afi _` '· ,. iii   _   U yy _ a T `
i` yy;/},   zi . ._"',_{•. V. ’ _ ’__, ·4{{.;··¥;   __.· KS V _. ;,•*   . `. ‘··' —' J? r‘ {
V   . @0 ..·;;_~¥' A gk,-4,;- a, _ -_‘. dm`;   ,;‘ . .¥·_y.   ‘·  7,4**** (‘·’r
{J- ‘TI ,,,_--`   _ •*s,,»`_T_,:`         . ‘ = >4 _i r` · ` T I
_ ‘ if ¥·`·;v’1:ra~"V-F- ' ·’.·' `~‘ ie - ’ ·. d ‘ · ,.'4@;_~· ’ j
Fig. 2. Lespcdeza holding gullies in Carlisle County. V _
more after the previous crop of Lespedeza. Seed can be easily
A and cheaply saved on the farm, and Lespedcza will give much iv
more satisfactory returns if seeding is practised wherever it is ‘ T
_ desired to establish the crop. In establishing pastures, a rather t A .
{ light seeding, say 3 to 5 pounds per acre, usually will insure a _;
fair stand the first year and a good stand the second year un- T I ·
less the Held is pastured very closely the first year. 111 seeding —
on old pastures, particularly where there is considerable turf, ` I
a moderately heavy seeding of 10 to 15 pounds per acre is ad- y
visable, if a quick stand is wanted. If a hay crop is desired the ~  

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{3;;  __·     8 Ifentucky Lbrtenszan Cn·cuZm· N0. 179  
  .~`,· ·   T
  7 g ji; LQ _  
  _.;\;,g,;;_.;,¤l:_ Hrst year, a full seed1ng—about 25 pounds per acre—should be ff
    made. As already stated, Lespedeza, once established in J Wj
    . pastures, is permanent as long as the tield is not cultivated, e_
  V When out for hay, however, the crop, if harvested early, may · i ab
  not 1·eseed itself. Piper states that if the crop is cut when in ]0;
  T full bloom the aftermath will ripen seed before frost, but it is - ag
  * · doubtful if this is true in Kentucky. Piper also suggests that 1 ha
'T `>;:·i-f1’-iQ}.`!i` " · .
if -;,':;;g>j,,>.;,-  . narrow strips be left uncut between the swaths in order to re- -_ th
  "2:’:Z¥i\—.·-  .1 ` · . . .
  seed the ground. The quality of the hay is not injured, ap~   ge
    parently, by deferring harvesting until some seeds have ripened,
  , and probably this is the most practical plan of handling to in-  
P- ae- ~~»·     . . · .
    sure reseeding in meadows. .
  lisa?     . . . x
  The methods generally used in seeding other spring-sown ._ I  
    l ID€HCl0W H-Hd ·paStu1‘e Crops are applicable with Lespedeza, f  
  Natural seeding occurs in late fall, which indicates that seed ,
··’e é‘;¤;§z;~;1s¢s si   ‘ . . .
  may be SOW11 at almost any time during the winter and early  
  spring. As a matter of fact, however, in natural seeding, sev- T
 2- eral tnnes as niuch seed is left on the ground, in most cases, as ` ·
·¤··?:m‘re»’*`·`-‘§¤-g _;- _ _ _ . . ,
 ,.-1-. would be sown by the farmer, so that a stand is insured even if
  ·"i`     ?‘ . · . , . . . , · . · f
    - 3 131 g€ P€1C€UUlg€ of lll0 seed 1S clestroyed. hlost of the seeding ’
  ' ID Kentucky has been done in February and March with good ‘
:¤t-:;e;‘a¢ex<- é- . . .. . _ . · - -
    · BVEIHQB results. bVll(?l€ possible, it is ycrha s safest to defer e
-.:»·.,_ {-,_-,..,. se  , p
-*-2;:; `t.“·   b ‘ · - ·
  seeding until the seed can be covered by artificial means, as by
  using a clover seed drill or by covering with a harrow after .
  · · ·, . ,· , .
  seeding. lt is not strictly accurate to state that the seed is F,
  covered, even when the clover seed drill is used. Wliat is actu- —
 msgs rg  · _ - .
 ge ally accomplished is that the seeds are left in the shallow marks
    made by the- drill or harrow and some loose soil left on the sur-
  ,.‘_   face of the ground. The first shower washes enough loose d
  ”7=§`2‘$   . . . .
  earth over the seeds to cover them sufficiently. If a harrow is tl;
as--     · - .
 _ used, it is best to harrow both before and after sowing the seed. h
  If lmpI‘£l0tlC3lJl€ to COV€1‘ lIll0 SC€Cl in this way, it probably is . E
QE "‘ *`?·1€i°  E 'f . (
  best to sow on frozen ground in February, as the alternate freez- S:)
  ing and thawing will accomplish some covering. The all-im- z ex
 p si g portant point in the seeding of any kind of clover and most Si,
». .. 5    asses is to eet the seed covered to the ro r
._  _______,,.,§ e. p pe cep . _
"`*?*`  ll `$=· ·
     
··2     . _
. ._ §·e—· :5
  5%  .»
Qi; i4`’   ` i
  i;i—`rE;.i\` : i

 _ Lcspecleza Vin Kentucky 9 _ .
be In seeding on old pastures a light disking before seeding Z
m will insure a better stand of plants. {
Cl- Commercial Lespedeza seed is always in the hull and weighs
*5* about 25 pounds pe1· bushel. The seed does not retain its vitality ‘
in long and even two-year-old seed is likely to give a low percent- L ·
is age of germination. It is evident that only seed guaranteed to . _
if have been harvested the previous season should be bought. Even
3- then it is well to obtain samples and to make, or have made, a _ .  
>· germination test before buying the seed. . c _
i- . _ · . ”
H  ·j l g i I ’   __ ._ 7 -,_~ { ` n. ix -, ' iii l 
` · ·» ` · i—  . , .:§`i·'" *` °?`“ ~ i f ,  : [   :··.  JI" Q  `»
.  ·"'.i#    .. ·  I’i¥;TL      ‘‘,’ itil w< »   .¤.     =v·j?·‘?*`·‘V1¤.   · . `
’ `    J-   ~*  ._.,‘     1.i·.’_¤»»5?¤f*i*€·= ·`‘= *$j=?¥%tY¥¢Z· .
1   .**2;, -"§:T“·;§;";a=     °ei’i,· Q'. QT?   t"_··tIa’·¤§,4_i, I   "· .,*_'V°.?¢";j '.—.["::yS*J¥· '
·         ‘_   V 2. ¤1·>     -.;gej,¤;_e-x&@;‘;;,%@¢1E%‘; ‘g·;.a,i·  Q. V}? i- ;
· ·   .;---»·»     ‘ `
; ·   t·‘‘  ig  Q   "    V -Y    i `  
=  ·€g.·&—:;`.Q   Wi  `e " ’*·*‘*   ..  t
-     tlta Mgt-.#i`*   e‘;‘§a.;r·. ‘ ~=*»%: *- -   ·¢==· .··. -‘  a:#J¤»»—¤¢»e. ~
i · F t *--*$?*?£` *    ‘-iff.   fthe; 1-  
* t   . V
-       -.                 .
  . VV -nn   V*·   -·i   i >
· .i.’ S T-. e.       *1   " ==<¤¢·5e     ?l· .¢»€.`;.&»- 4%     -33*¢%$i·=;;2t   -5;   i i
  `‘‘`     ~"`”¥" ";i t ·
` -`*t   ·;`i       ,
»- -   Y-?       ·‘   `. .%‘»~·téZ—— §·x¢i;€"‘:;;';f>§-Q {/*:” `Zi ” i ?
Fill`. fl. A good crop of lespedeza growing in 0. Carlisle County field wliere i
the second cutting of red clover failed to make much growth, 1
INOCULATION
Lcspedeza is so widely distributed over Kentucky that un- \
doubtedly the soils in most sections have become inoculated with , ‘
the nodule-producing organisms of this leguine. ln addition ,
the eowpea nodule bacteria are probably the same as those of _ 
L€·Spedeza;’* hence the growing of eowpeas has inoculated the  
Soil for both crops. In the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, how- I Q
ever, neither Lespedeza nor cowpeas has been grown to any con- .
siderable extent, so that artificial inoculation of the seed on poor {
*I1linois Experiment Station, Bulletin 202.  

 `   "ikf
- jay; , i ..
     
  —i¢>’ ‘r`i§   *
  iv?} .  2 * fi 
  t*`?;’; _ I  
i `€l·i.=> >»»·      
Esq;.   -·‘_   I _ _ I  
 -1   10 Kentucky Extenszon. Ozrcular N 0. 179 F?
  i      
lééiiipllpp  soils is advisable. The commercial cultures are reliable and are   see
    dec1ded1y the most convenient way of securing inoculation.   com
.'§’ v‘·"  ‘ 1-' ` ‘
  ;$‘L; ;y,=f$)· 3 is
SQ i ECE *353 ·   `· "
  , LESPEDEZA IN PASTURE MIXTURES  
    ,-l; _ - res
,.    As stated previously, Lcspedeza should seldom be sown alone .· ab]
I _ __ `,`,;‘ {YQ 7 • ¤ f.
    1; f _ for pasture. Six to eight pounds of orchard grass, 3 to 5 pounds   am
    pifp f  p redtop, and 5 to 10 pounds Lespedeza make a good pasture mix- M   km
  ture for most conditions and soils in Kentucky. On rather wet   has
  ; land the orchard grass may be omitted. In bluegrass regions   of
  i SOHIB bl11€€1‘aSS seed may be added. On lands where the clovers if
 rei   thrive, these may be included. Timothy and Lespedeza should I  
  give a good pasture on good land for a few years at a slight cost E I
E}.-ji  01* seed. Eight to ten pounds of timothy and 5 pounds of  
  Lespedeza should give about the right amounts.  
  I yi:
l__fi;·&.=¤*x§·§;g ,>·; HAY PRODUCTION    ’
  V  {ie
  I Lespedeza, when intended primarily for hay, should be .’·‘   5.;, 
    sown on fairly good land or the land should be fertilized, Al-    
    E, luvial bottom lands are excellently adapted for hay production rg; 7·g_§§§ 
  , and often yields • two tons or more of hay per acre are secured .   feat
·‘ ·’:·~i¤-  J  . . ‘ ‘, , · .   ‘d°r.‘
    -  _ OH Such 1a¤€l$· Fal tllléel tests on the thm upland seils ef west-    
  ·‘»`’ * ‘<~?§w . ` - · ez- SKK:
   L.  V ern Kentucky have shown that these soils can be made to pro- évf,  
 11%   ` · ‘ . .- ·    
    duce good yields of hay by the use of acid phosphate alone. On Y} t e 
  the Mayfield, Kentucky, soil experiment Held Lespedcza grown    
  m 3 ~?‘}’€m` 1’<>t¤t1<>¤ of (1) ’¤0baG00, (2) wheat, (3) Lespedeféa, I3 "M
  has given an average yield for eight years of 2,613 pounds of ·· F
    hay pe1· acre, on very thin land. Yields of over 2 tons per acre   ·
Qi sc     have been obtained in some vears The fertilr · · l ·l ’ r`
p_,_. l     U - Mer usec amountet p xx 11
F. .t.`*·¥2·.E’»§>‘; · · · ~ .
  to 200 pounds of acid phosphate per acre per year for the first   as
·`·. f‘L,;\;·Ij·`   Y .  
  5 WHTS and 100 pounds for the last three yea;-S_ s pa-
  On the Greenville soil experiment field an average of 4,160   IS.
  pounds of hay per acre for two years was produced on thin land   tht
  f€1‘t1l1Z0d \\1lh aold phosphate. There are eertninly few hay <» lai
  crops that would give equally as good results as this OH thm p'; tie
  land, at as small a cost. There would seem to be no limit to the ` l P1`·
  length of time a Lespedeza meadow could be maintained without _> 105
   I regecdmg provided Cam WHS 'fakoll not to harvest before Some  
    .  
    ri   
J .·‘   Fax  · it
    lj. ~  
  »1  F
 

 rL: _
Lespadeza in Kentucky 11 . T
3 seed had 1·ipened. Of course the fertilizer treatment must be l
continued. Y i
No doubt the use of lime in addition to acid phosphate would .
result instill further increases of yield in most eases. The man _  
3 able to lime his land, however, has a wider ehoiee of forage crops ` .
E and perhaps would find others more profitable for hay after i
‘ land is limed. In rowing Les edeza for ha in Kentuekv it `
U ” t
· has not been definitely determined whether or not a good yield ‘ r
i of hay can be obtained the first year when the crop is seeded t  
i . 
4 l
T i
. i
-: . l
    ~ . .   {   y ‘ 
  i , ’,`i   5  ;·~ =>   —r»,.· =#i»¤$ie¥¤i?e>5*ts¤e?w*#*¤¥~·# ~·ee   `tt° ( __ :it.jeJi¢ . j
ii 7`"‘lT”’°‘*i**   `·‘,‘ e  iw ',`i`i   °l‘¤“°"iltl?`; ii`?      · . - V 
t  ¥‘_;‘:¢`e~é- mi;.       ;l ?;- ` ·/i~ z . *·'»;‘7¥’T?’,&`·Q?·.‘~‘i‘-ff   V .t·, tw  »‘· ’  t
.1I ;~    2¢ E’~°“‘f?{i’%’>2Q`* *i `      ‘ dd"' * "  J e- =~s.¤*;5 {
   Qu it g·’l§ §?"»* v" ’  gv,   i
      ‘ i  -   w.  e.—·‘?>xe   ,i=·· .     Q   ww. .       ¤··i’%?’“¢T *` ¤
;..}·.:·T—·;·$i‘5‘;·£€y  ta ,.-<    til t  W5: ,_ t*1·‘s`*·2~·z;&w;w,t~e»+*·»g  
if ·;<·· ·~  »·=‘w··€j ;...5·* % · {V  qq, ‘ w·;¤ ·-ay}. i l Wav $¤l}$`§;‘§M;~·;  T.%e‘£¤q··;·p_(,,;_§},t ·
. i ` »¤'  ii  [Q f*·"_     Z`- ‘_   i "  1. '” ";.-,•"‘p'.'j_.j" >_-{gy-—Yl·L». 5-;%;   f‘!Q·’*,.;i,‘e  F` .*3;,. {," ~  
&¢* — 1.·<*%g¤%‘a{.i#       “*   ;>        A f >   ‘  M   »tr‘ am.; —...:  ·  . a
p _,  ·· »»,k¤;’&@:t*;_}f.$? ·» W1. `#¢%=g§fiM’lt*§$;;;,;A   it ii?   {fit`? ¤2;,§’€’f€?,;&‘-it; s*,>3;>2¤ ¥»?é~j¥§”‘  ;
..-V: tgt, ¤_ :,·,_¤w, ,'·, , ,;,_ ,. "__.·—, `, 1_tr_j_,. `,·;» nik',]. ·*L,··,iU¢_...I,~ .,iq;_,y ·~g~> . V;.   · _ _ —. yy. I
  ,._‘ _r;Zi»‘»:ZiJ·?¥i§`__.jfi{gil’gé¥i?'»a¥$;~;Z.it~ei~?.**l { §i.—;.,, ·,2’”,:¢¤?¢;_·.,;‘·¢‘iei9§§:; ·`!Eyz¥ie;?%;=§¥? i ?
uno,. grew, ‘.·_ _ ._., ‘ ’”*._·?` ·:*··»_’}a•i..t .*‘!—·::¥  *;;:,9;;,a ,~ ·.·, .,,;:¤i ·’r·   _,   ; je];-·    t
évtisx-e¢2,;L;2·"·”’lQ-is;»¤tl<';;,·.;é,·»;1  ,x,·     '   ‘ in .-   **.?’Q`V : n€·'1‘:aZ£·.·RJT·;..J¤.   j
Fix'. ·t. A plot of Iioiwan lespedexa on the Experiment Station farm  
at Lexingtoii. {
with small grains. This is the most praetieal method of seeding. °
as weeds are likely to give trouble if Lespedexa is seeded alone. l  
partieularly where the soil has been freshly stirred. Sinee seed t f
is high, it is probably more praetieal to sow only enough seed i11  
the grain erop to give a stand of plants tliiek enongh to seed the  
land thoroly for the next year, On very produetive soils, pill'-  
· . . . 4
l tieularly bottom lands, it is likely that a good hay erop ean be · g
produced the Hrst year and in sueh eases a full seeding doubt- $
less will pay.
Q
a

 ·   _.,’ .; .
  .      1=—i 
lz:     . j; Y;_ ;
  ‘>‘· .7 
  .  ~  
   ~¤ . ‘c  
      E A 
  12 1{evmwky Extension Circular N0. 179  
    Lespedeza grows rather slowly for a time and often tall-   H10
  growing weeds, grasses, etc., get a start. Mowing over the fields ·e sect
  iis · · ' · 4 Hf
    once or twice during the summer usually will keep the weeds in » U
  check until the Lespedeza becomes large and thick enough to of l
  control them. The principal. trouble with weeds seems to be in ·.
  32-2 3 . . . .
gg;   . ;j lower quality of hay or ditticulty with seed crops, as Lespedeza y be
  L grows right along amid the weeds. Yat
   ` gig? .i _ _ . I`€3
  Q2}  It is estimated that, when the stand of Lespedeza IS good, a V is (
    yield of one ton per acre will be obtained when the height of the   inn
     4- “ . . . - e
  it  plants is S or 9 inches; two tons when 12 to 14 inches, and 4 tons A C
 ii when over two feet in height. This is a suprisingly large yield ’ A
  for such heights, but the stems are very numerous and solid so i- ’
‘l?=.cY ]··   `féi . . _
 ag that it weighs very heavy. It probably does not pay to cut the f ·
·· .‘;·f:·q».g€5 {K5}; - . _
Es ._._,     crop for hay when the plants are less than o to 6 inches tall, as  
  Ml » - - · c . `
  the mower blade will slip over the growth to such an extent in V
2 i¥·L=:?¥'§éi.¤é *..4   -·-- L
  gap cutting that little hay will be obtained, but good seed crops are e
.`?’¢`%*2%¥—“¥E?§ i·   ii . . ~
;;   ~ frequently obtained from the shorter growth. Lespedeza cures ,
'*‘*°é51i·$%=¤`$~€ -‘=—     · - ..
 ; more readily than any other leguminous hay because of the .
·—     gx; gi . . S
    ·; slender stems and smaller content of water. As with any ..
—¥¥’—l{;:‘€€€..i. if  `Y · · · - »
   Z.  legununous hay the best quality is made where the hay is allowed  
.·,.;§=.=`:: i=F‘§§.. ¥‘.‘·- . ' ” . . . . . . '  
  to wilt well 1n the swath and this curing completed in windrow · ..
#$2** ig   . . . I
    i or shock. ln many cases Lespedeza hay cut in the morning may =
  T be raked into windrows the following afternoon. Since the sun V
  ··~·""§a>;y¢" i§` , _ _  
  1S not usuall * ver ’ hot at the time Les Jedeza IS cut for ha * a —
...·.» Y   at  . .
  very good product usually may be made by curing in the swath.
,;.75   ·  it . . . . . . . =
  The chief obgeetion to this method is that it results in a heavy .
`jr i»i‘T*>?"i*`wTi   L .' • · · V
  .v,·     loss of leaves. This can be overcome .art1all bv raking into _ to
  .·:.   Y ~ ¤
  windrows when slightly damp with dew. It can be bailed in the OY
  field just as alfalfa hay is baled by our larger growers. S9
    · ·
    SEED PRODUCTION . m
Lf ~   ·a.— .   . .
  Lespcdeza seeds quite freely, yields of from 5 to 12 bushels . th
" V7;   . . . . .
  Jer acre being obtained in Louisiana. where most of the com- Of
  im · ` fig,   U ‘
  mereial seed is produced. In Kentucky, from 2 to 10 bushels E Gl
  Jer acre were harvested last fall. Perha as the heaviest vields th
~— ‘·m` it tr ‘  . . L `
  of seed are obtained on land of moderate fertility where the .— m
E   growth is not too thick and rank. In fact, a c1·op gust large -
  ) ._"   V 4.
    ,  ii,  . ';
 ir sg      <»
Fr   ...‘
  " °l‘"c .  . 
~ .;,-.»·¤. 1-.

  2
_ g Lespedezo in Kentucky 13 V T ·
1. i enough to out usually will give a satisfactory yield of seed. To i
[S Y secure the largest yield of seed, harvesting should be deferred _ ·
H until about the middle of October in Kentucky or about the time- l
o ` of the first killing frost. _
it Two methods of saving seed are practised. The crop may T
a be eut and, after drying thoroly, threshed with a grain sepa- V T
rator with a Lespedeza