xt75mk655j3c https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt75mk655j3c/data/mets.xml   Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station. 1937 journals kaes_circulars_297 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. 297 text Circular (Kentucky Agricultural Experiment Station) n. 297 1937 2014 true xt75mk655j3c section xt75mk655j3c . {lf}
UNIVERSI'I`Y OF KENTUCKY  
COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE
Extension Division
THOMAS P. COOPER, Dean and Director
- CIRCULAR NO. 297
  7
THE LESPEDEZAS IN KENTUCIQ
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°fC0¤€1‘€ss of May 8, 1914,

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LNCS
A pasture of Korean lespedeza. and orchard grass. WHL
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  NURIC
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  »:_ rlomu
  · '.°Q£ lures
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  - llflll Ul. the pasture lantl ol the State. lt not only lllll)l`<)\'CS the ]>ilS~
. ture because of its soil—building quality. but it also provides a large
amount of pasture itself after midsummer when pasture grasses are
’ more or less dormant. Because of its ability to reseed itself. it per-
. yistsalmost indefinitely in permanent pastures on the less productive
i `f’ll$ of the State and in closely grazed pastures on the lll()l`(? pt`<> _
it li'lllill)l<` llay c]`()ps_ (§s])e(‘ially wllere [lit? soil is llttl $l|fll(l(`llll}' ])i"l’
rluttive for red clover and alf`alf`a. On worn soil. hay can be produted
' `H“V**lil|ll}` with a much smaller expenditure lor $t)ll·llll])l`tl\`lll§
mfllclilillh lllllll   ]](‘(`Q$$[[]`y` li()]` ]`{|l$l]]g` l`(‘(l (’l()\i(‘l` (lll illliillliih ()ll
futile soil. clean stands of the annual lespedeyas. when out at the

 t .
4 Ivetrltzc/cy Ex/ensirni Circular No. 297
proper stage, make hay almost if not quite equal in feeding value to C
clover hay for livestock; on poor soil the hay is less nutritious, fum
' Ilust how lespedeza compares with red tilover and other legumes HIM
for adding nitrogen to the soil. has not been fully determined. ltr. llmi
dtcations are. however, that it cotnpares favorably. especially il llblli
I grown in connection with grasses or followed with a winter cover *}**1*
crop where grown alone. to prevent. loss of nitrate. l ull?
,·\ feature of lespedeya which has contributed much to its popu- I  
, larity is its dependability. lt is better able to withstand the compo-  
· tition of nurse crops and weeds in the seedling stage during dry [ by
periods than clover or alfalfa; consequently losses of the stand occur (3  
much less frequently than with the latter. ln fact. lespede/a seldom  
, fails to make a stand regardless of seed bed and climatic conditiouy. mlm]
Lespedexa seeds abundantly. especially the Korean; consequently IIIIUII
the seed usually sells at a very moderate price. (Iheap seed cou- I ]IIIiIlI
tributes greatly to the usefulness of a forage crop. K
The ability of lespedexa to grow on soil too acid or too clelicicttt MIIU
in one or more of the mineral elements of plant food for the grotrtlt HMC;
of clover and most other legumes. is only a temporary atlvantagc. MI5
For some time lespcdexa may continue to give fair returns atttl WM
crops following may yield better than formerly because of the tiitttr mw
gen added to the soil by the legume crop. ()bviously. however. tltt‘ lllw]
supply of mineral nutrients will eventually become too lituitttl ltrrlt
even for the growth of lcspedexa. particularly if the crop is 1¤`· Wm
moved and no manttre returned, This should he understood Jttttl WIIIIJ
every effort should be made to supply the needed soil-iinprt>\'i1l§ wh
materials before such a stage is reached. l  [mm
SPECIES AND VARIETIES OF LESPEDEZA llwl
The species and varieties of lespedeza cultivated in this tttlllllll II I
are all native of Eastern .»\sia. .\ number ol` species, all pereutttitl IIIIHT
are native to North .»\merica, bttt apparently none of thC$<‘ b "l ]`lIl)'
agricultural value. Several grow wild in lientuck}. llltl illf ll"'  
\\`lt(‘t`<‘ Zlllltlttlttttl. Wltich inclicates the lack of aggressiveiiess so tll¥Ill‘ ' I  
acteristic of the introduced .\siatic l`ornrs_ The latter c<>ttt]>l`t** lx] I
three distinct species. (lommon lespedeya (I1'.?/}{'(f(’Z(I .r/rirt/tt)· £"l“"" iff
ally known as Illlllilll clover. liorean lespedeya (I,c.r/rcdcitt -*`l’l’"" willy
frtcwu) and the perennial lespedexa (I,e.v·/rwlmrr ,w·riw·u). il`t‘tll“""`° IIIUI
Tli and Kobe are giant varieties of (Zommon, and llarhitt i* 1* ‘l"*'ll il:}
variety of Korean,

 The Les[2edezus in Kenlrzclty gt ‘ V
6 Ul Cmnmmr lespedeza has been present in this country for nearly at
century. It was Hrst found growing wild in Georgia, in ISM}. How
mm it was introduced has never been determined. During the Util
In- \\`ar it became widely distributed over rnueh of the South and pose
Y il tilrly gained a foothold tn Kentucky at that tinre or shortly alter.
’)\_(_l_ lt has been abundant on waste land, old pastures and along road-
yitles in most parts of the State for —l0 years or more.
The species is not uniform but consists of numerous strains.
llmi [>;rrticularly in its more southern range, which differ considerably in -
mln? lorgth of time required to produce seed and to a less extent in size
lllll tif plants and habits of growth. The later strains ripen seed only in
[lm ilre South, but the earliest produce sufficient seed before [mst rrr
reproduce the stand as lar North as Central Ohio, Indiana arul
im lllirrois; consequently the variation in seeding habits has peranittetl
_ · torrnnon lespedexa to become established over a wide range rtl
(lm- latitude.
_ Kentucky farmers were slow to recognize the valtte of corrrmtorr
rm lcspetleza and it was not until about I5 years ago that any consitler~
`llllll illrle anrount of seed was sown. Interest developt rapidly. lrowey er.
fw" and soon it ranked as one of the most important legumes. .·\t first
fmll most of the seed used was brought from the South bttt later rnutlr
llm wed was produced locally. Common lespedeza is an excellent pa~—
llw Hire legttnre and on productive soil often grows large enough to tut
lllll lrrr llll}'. lt is not so generally ttseful as Korean. lrtrweyel`. atltl its
Ill] rtrrrrr as seed of the latter became plentiful practically all farrners
illll rltrppetl sowing the (`()ll]lllt)l]. l)ottbtless the $ll(`t`CSSl.lll C\l)L“llll"lllll’
lm Wllll common lespedeya in the State was largely responsible lor tlrr
l ll"€H1el1tlotts interest in Iiorean which resulted in such :1 \Ul`}` cxltrlt
site use in so short a tinre following its irrtrodttction.
my Tt'l11l<’.r‘.w’c 76 is the progeny of an individual plant seletttrtlt
Hg,l]_ lllllll Wlllllllfill lespedeza at the 'l`ennessee Iixperinrent Station. in
S ,,4 lllli lt grows mueh taller and more erect than cornruou bttt tlrrse
W,. lr l`¤>€H1bles the latter in other visible clraracters.
lrar- Tennessee 76 is as desirable for pasture as common and lwttcrr
rrisr lar lray because it grows so nruclr larger, r·\pparently it pr·otltrt‘t‘·~
.m·]·. lfh ¤€Q*> litter in maturing. It is very sparingly grown in l§¢.‘nlutlk\.
.at~;~ Wl wl l`ennessee 7(S cannot be distinguished from seed of cornrrrrnr
tt‘.tl`l ll.`llU(lCl;t_
KUIW fespeeleza was obtained in IEIIO near Kobe, LIQIIJLIIIZ lrc1lt~t‘

 { .
6 Kentucky Extension Circular N0. 297
` the name. It was Hrst grown and distributed by a commercial seed S
hrm in South Carolina. This variety of common lespedeza is not extea
. easily distinguished from Tennessee 76 during growth. espet·i;t1ly- gtrrtt
. in a thick stand. In a thin stand Kobe, like the common, has a than
more spreading habit of growth than Tennessee 76, the plants are
somewhat coarser and the leaflets broader. It ripens seed earlier
A and, according to growers who have grown seed of both comnter- L  
cially, is more prodttctive of seed. The seeds of Kobe are nrtrch I  
larger than those of common or of Tennessee 76 and can easily he  t 
_ ' distinguished. Because of the larger size of the seeds a heavier rate  
of seeding of Kobe is necessary than of other varieties in order to  
get an equally thick stand.  
Krzrcroz lespedeza differs from the varieties of L. slrirt/u in marry  
' respects, and is easily distinguished from them. It grows about as  
large as Kobe, and the tips of the growing stems are more conrpatt  
and distinctly different in appearance. In a very thin stand. the  
stems grow more or less prostrate and a single vigorotts plant nitty  
form a cluster two feet or more in diameter. In a thick stand, hotr- J-
ever, few branches form and the plants grow erect. Seeding habits
also differ from those of the common species and it is far more
productive of seed. Korean lespedexa seed germinates in less time
than seed of the common, and consequently the plants appear earlier I
in the spring, Its early growth is much more rapid than that ttf "l%'
<>LhCl` \’2ll’iCliCS; hence it furnishes somewhat earlier grazing. Th? (UI
SCCLT l`i]>CllS about three weeks earlier than that of common ol` Kt>l¤'· ·"‘l‘ if
.—\ll varieties of common drop their leaves when killed by frost, but high
the leaves of Korean are retained most of the winter. hm
I-Iarbin matures much earlier than Korean and the plants are Stati
much smaller. It should not be sown in Kentucky. I goot
I,r·.r]1er!ezu sericcrt is a trtte perennial form. How long it will aren
]>Cl`Si$l, (T()Ul)[T€SS depends much upon the way the crop is lltlll/ffl- VUV
Dr. l’ieters* states tltat plants at the U.   D. .~\. farm at .\rlirrgtorr. g
Virginia, from which a seed crop has been harvested eath year lot. . alfa}
lt) years are still vigorous. lt is dottbtful if stands cttt for hay ot the}
pastured will persist that long. however. Sericea winter-ktllt·tl loot
t`i1lh€1` badly during the winter of l$l2·&2-§i§}_ This is the on!} \t'11l'*"` tttt
Ill WhlCl1 Illjllfy hits been l`Ql)()l`[Q(l_ l·[t)wever_ other \\‘lll|l'l'* him. lillil
l>CC11 l`Clllli\‘ely mild. except H)35-(i_ tttttl itt tltat ittstante tl1t‘¥i<‘ “'"` lftttrt
ample snow protettion when temperature was low. an e
TA ° MilH€Ogl'HDll€d XIl8.I1€l‘ii1l. United States Departtnent of Agrieull\1l'P· 1932 [IH]

 The Les]2erlezr1s in Kentucky 7 ‘ _
reed Sericea lespedeza has not been grown long enough or utilized
not extensively enough to fully determine its usefulness. It seems to
ally grow remztrkztbly well on poor, llCl(l soil, apparently even better
1s :1 than the annual varieties. It produces good yields ol` hay but feed-
are
·lier V t
"“"   cr.~·,i‘‘`        ` L 
“°l*   ‘‘l‘   Q   t 1 ·Vv·_ V .·sr · ‘r·‘ · ···o f
.111   ’’i   ==·   ·i»“}   ‘’'il*   ·,r,!     `   r—·’ ‘l °   l ·
· » ·. ~ < syl  1;: · »`-·     1
r 111 s -   ;_         ‘»·‘ .—       -—· . ‘ l ~ · .
    ..IIl1   ”ir°v' 7}] ,1     1 · »  
, ,   1ll`l oil r\l)l`ll ill
‘l lll ` l'll<‘l21lilutleol` Lexingttml liQ]][[l('l{>'_ _~\t that time ztlllillllll l1121}' l)U il
llllll llllll lllgll. Gtwwtl] is vgry l`Q[l)l(lY l]()\\‘e\‘e1`, Z\ll(l ll lIl2l}' l)C l`Uil(ll` Ul
lllt’l` (lll lor hay almost as early as Zlllllllllll. The stems ol Sericea are '
lillli l*'*l1¤¤‘c<>111~se, especially in ;; thin gtmitl, ;[l](l they DCUJIIIC ll2U`¢l and
w;1~ trootly with age. 'l`o make pztlatable hay the crop must be cut at
1111 early stage. 'l`he l)lll]]lS are very lealy 11nd carelttlly cured hay
tarries ll larger proportion ol` leaves lllilll ol` stents. 'l`he (()l]1l)()Sl·

 I .
S Ifenlrzr/cy E.¥/£'}1.$li()}I Cirriular N0. 297
tion of the hay varies according to the maturity of the crop when Mk
eut. Doubtless also the percentage of ash varies according to the ll_m(
· mineral ttontent of the soil upon which the hay is grown. Nor llclll
~ enough analyses have been made as yet to give a very good idea ol ****1*
the average composition, "llw
Sericea lespedeza was obtained from japan in lEl2E$, and small mm
A quantities ol` seed were distributed for trial a few years later. Re- (lf/"_
garding its introduction, Dr. l’ieters’* states that at the time ol irs i gm/I
preliminary distribution it was believed to be new to the Unitetl ml
_ i States. The finding of a pateh growing wild led to a study ol olrl mm
records and it was fotmd that at least two previous introtlurtions will
had been made, one by the North Carolina Experiment Station in IMS
1896 and one by the U.   1). A. in 1900. Apparently in the earlier mlm
i trials it had not appeared promising and was not kept. Nl)! _}
Referring to the different strains sent out, Dr. Pieters states that nlm
numbers 12087 and 17201 are apparently identical. No. 0·l7Cltl [mi
matures seed a little earlier than 12087 and grows slightly taller. H wi
THE BEST LESPEDEZA FOR KENTUCKY‘*"*‘
lt is no accident that all bttt a small fraction of the lespetle/.r ·l
grown in Kentucky is Korean for it is undoubtedly the most general- has t
ly usefttl variety for this State. \\'hile it does not diller sigiiiliranth good
from other kinds of lespedeza in adaptation to soil and other wit tml,]
ditions, it is far more productive of seed than any other varit‘t}· [mm
with the possible exception of Sericea, the value of which is yet to in rt
be determined. '1`he imporranee ol` good seeding habits in a liorstgr rho]
crop can scarcely be over emphasized. lt assures an abundant sup- ther
ply of Seetl at it relatively low price wliitth encourages its eXlt‘l1>l\<' ,,[ gl
ttse. Korean lespedexa is not only a heavy producer of seed. hill ll rlml
is 11150 (lepelltlable. Except in rare instanees the seed ripetis ill illll mm
part of the State early enough to escape frost injury, whitll is ll"l rrrrm
ll`UC of other varieties, and even in very dry years such as ltliill Ulltl _\ (ly
1936, fair yields are obtained where soil conditions are favorahltx _ need
The seed crop can be harvested more readily by mat·hint·ry than ltspr
that of other varieties, with less loss by shattering, lt also l`ll)Cll` iv my
Carly ellottgh to permit seeding a grain erop in the stlIl>l>l€· __ tttlli
VFIICYC 2l1`C p<)SSil)ly some (Tontlitions where Kobe. rl`eIll\t`$>¢“V lll sown
0I` CVCH the Ctilllllloll may prove more (lesirable than Koreall. 1i<'>l>t‘· riliry
lll [)211`llCUlHl`, 111lS Some entlmsiastir; atlvoqrteg in soutli\vt‘sll‘1`11 l“`ll` paso
‘ Mim€Ogl‘aphed material, United States Department of Agriculture. 1932- mcg
•* Unless otherwise indicated, the annual lespcdezas are referred to.

 T/ic Lcspcdczas in Kcntttc/cy 9 ,
_ tacky. Experiments so l`ar conducted indicate that, with comparable
ii stands, l{0l)€, VTCUIICSSCC 76 ?lll(l KOYCZIH give Z1bOLl{ the same average
M yields of hay. Presumably the total amount of pasturage furnished
Ol, it also about. the same. Korean furnishes earlier grazing while the
other varieties remain palatable later in the fall. The latter lea-
HH nire is not of great importance where mixtures of grass and lespe-
{0 doa are used, for the grass revtves in the fall and provides late
iw V graiing. Korean lespedela makes lair grazing even after the plants
ml are killed by frost, because the leaves are retained. It would seem, .
M therefore, that seeding costs, dependability in producing good
m` stands and how well the crop reseeds itsell should be the deciding
in factors in choosing a variety. Some experiments indicate that Ko-
im rean is less tolerant ol soil acidity than Kobe and other varieties and
not so well adapted to worn land, but here again results are con·
hat flirting. lt is an easy matter lor any farmer to determine by actual
[fit) lest what variety or varieties best meet his requirements, and such
il test is well worth making.
LESPEDEZA FOR PASTURE
wil The introduction of? lespedexa into the agriculture ol Kentucky
"*‘l‘ has greatly simplified the problem of establishing and maintaining
'llll good pastures. Pastures composed ol grasses alone soon become
""‘ ttttprotlttctive even on fertile soil, probably because nitrogen be-
»'ll· monies locked up in unavailable forms. \\’hen legumes are grown
I') ltl tonnection with grasses, they supply the nitrogen required by
HRC the latter. They also increase the total amount of pasturage, since
lll" lltey thrive when climatic conditions are unfavorable for the growth
'lllll ttl grass. This is particularly true ol` lespedeza which is a hot-
l li lliCillll(Il` (Trop, and niost vigorous in l]ll(l$lll]lIllCl` Wllell gl`2l5SCS 2ll`tT
ml llillllltllly dormant, Not only does a gl`2lSS-lCglllllC nllXll1l`C gl\'C tllt`
mn most. pasturage but it is also an excellent soil-builtling t`<>lt1l>it1i1tlt>1t·
mil ·\ t7llC2t]> and eflective way to improve a \\'()l`ll field is to atltl ll1U
)lC‘ . 'lt`t‘tlCtl minerals, usually lime and phosphate, sow to a llllXll|l`C ttl
lim lL*l’(`tlC/it and grasses and keep it in pasture for several years. illll(‘|`(?
Cm lt lm ltlllllense aniount ol land in Kentucky so tl11[Jrt>l|lll|t'§`l`1|$*
U]- l’il‘llll`t‘> ill the outer blnegrgrss region rliat wottltl gi\‘t‘ illIl|t>5l lWlt¢'
the grazing they now give, by the addition of lespedeza.

 l0 Kett/ttc/cv Exlwtsiott Circa/{tr N0. 297
_ It is seldom aclvisable to sow lespedeza alone lor pasture be- estab
cause of the relatively short season ol` pastttrage lttrnished. It it wit
grows rather slowlv l`or sotne titne and even liorean which is reatlt Fairl
l ' to graze two or three weeks earlier than other varieties. gives little ing tl
l ()
_ w,% lespet
· i t   protlt
 
  yl   ttons
vi _. · .s  dove
¢;,;#:L ,  _;`-; t *  . a~.
  W;   ` · i l)CCll
      _·,‘     .
· . rtstv t .   ttri t     ttt·.u»~t   eas .- ia;./V ;yf·*#"t:i   Illldll
· ·~;»,.,,>{_. . · figéln ¤ ,;;;·,_ ;~5 —i{Q·,  Y {__ li - $’—·; r,_ .t.».  » .;§     _`   ;=
*   gpg,. t     * }. ,3, .: _  W,  ww ~~ J_ . ·v..%: .».;.e.$?&$t,4%  tn- _
  --··.§l%E?`>WA*ii’.j·¥?£2 $7 3t*“.’·**’*?  $1%:...  W3 ~ €f?¤? °   £?3*SE·4%Yts`    `
at t
A pasture of Korean lespedeza and bluegrass. This should have been grazed closer. {
tlttce
pastttrage before the latter part oll May or lirst ol` ]tttte. itt tltt‘ "¥"'
latitude ol Lexington. The plants are killed bv tlte lirst heavy l`r·>~t "l [ll'
ol l`all. Grasses. on the other hand, htrnish the most gra/ing ill l""*`
spring and fall so tltat the two crops complement each otltetr (Y
Furthermore. grasses make a tttrl` whiclt resists erosiott and also tlte li
prevents tlte leaching ol` nitrogen dttring the winter. tttre
·- · · · .   li. ·
Stnee lespetleza reseeds ttsell tn lntstttres, even when dttsclt mm
grazed, it may persist as long as tlte grasses. However. it \`t‘l`}' lllltl NW10
· . . ll .
stand ol bluegrass may crowd ottt lespedeza, or any other legttnlt ltll lm '
· - · . - - -. . _ t ‘.` `;
that matter, tl grazed verv Itghtlv. (,onverselv, tl lespede/a ts {ttl ml
· i i - J · . W tlt·
nlllletl tt> tllilke ll lteitvy gl`()\\'ll`l (lllflllg the sttnmter, tt nhl} l~lll . ( I
stnne ol the bluegrass. (»ra7tttg tnav he so regttlated_ howextt. tlttll "udl
. - - · · · · ,., ’ ll ·
llellller the grass llt)l` lespetle/:1 sttllers lrom eompetttttttt. lllill l`   m
. . . _ .. et  
ltttle or no danger ol bttttch grasses, partttttlarlv orchattl L{t—'*`· lll
. . _ .. . at t
crowding out lespecle/a nor will lespedeza smother ottt stttlt §l·l*“` I l`
. , . . ..-. txt ·
alter they become establtslted. lhere ts some danger. lttt\\l\t'· I l"
. . . _ ,_ · tat
that a verv thick stand ol lespede/a may kill vottng gt‘ét¤>· <"'l`“ tl
quently it is not advisable to seed the lespede/a too ht‘1i\‘ll$ t~’ltt"‘ ll

 V
T/ie Lt¢.s`]2erIe;u.t in Kezztur/ty tt _
é he- cstablisltittg mixed pasture. lf tlte grass is seeded the previous fall,
. h it withstands better the competition of the lespedeza tlte hrst year.
eadt fairly close grazing also tends to prevent tlte lespedeza frotn injur-
littlc ing tlte young grass.
()n tlte Kentucky Experiment Station fartn a 25-acre pasture of
lespedeza and orchard grass was established l2 years ago. ft is still
productive and the two cotnponents are in about the satne propor-
tions as originally. ()n another held, a mixture of timothy, red
clover, and Korean lespedeza was sown in l933. This field has _
been cut for hay every year since. The stand of timothy is very
  thick, but considerable lespedeza has survived, indicating its ability
  to withstand severe competition.
  LESPEDEZA FOR HAY
  Soi`! Rz·r/itircnimi/.y and Yiefrfs. For successful hay production,
ji lcspedeza requires a fairly productive soil. However. fair yields
  tttay be obtained on less productive soils by using phosphate fer-
  tilizers, and very good yields frotn the use of botlt lime and phos-
{Vg tthate. l·`ertile bottom lands are especially desirable for growing
  hay since they are less affected by summer drouth. Under favor-
mil ahle soil and productive conditions thick stands of lespedeza pro-
duce retnarkable yields of hay. lt is estimated that where tlte stand
the itgood, a yield of a ton per acre may be expected when the height
frost ttf tlte plants is 8 or El inches: two tons when 12 to l·f inches, attd ·1
Q in t·»tts when 2 feet high.
het: Con/rol/ing fl»'ewc/.t in Huy Cro]2.t·. \\'eeds seldom give trouble
also tlte first year when lespedexa is seeded in small grain and, if mois-
lttl`t‘ conditions are favorable. a good crop of clean hay may be ob-
tscly tained. ln volttnteer stands. however, or where tlte lespedexa is
hick tteded alone, cottsiderable weed growth often occurs. Tltis does
~lot not ordinarily reduce tlte yield, but of cottrse weedy hay is Ilttl
pct- desirable. \\'eeds can be controlled qttite effectively by clipping
kill 4 the field once or twice dttring the seasott. The first clipping is
that tttttally dotte wltile tlte lespedexa is small- say abottt tlte tttiddle of
·e i~ ,Itttte. .»\ second clippittg if necessary tttay be ntade later. How-
m___ t·tt·r. if tlte weeds are ttot very ttttttterous. a second clippittg is not I
tsscs athisable. ll it /zig/1/y inijmrltoil to avoid cul/ing o/[ //u· /n/is of //u·
*\`t‘I. M/""ft'Zrt /2/an/.v in r/[/,»/;j;;g_ since that greatly t`(‘tltl(`t‘S Ill(T §"fClfl Ulf
nsc- ` hill ttf wed. If ttecessgtry gt weedwltee] should be ttsetl on tlte lt1t>\\'(‘T·
hw Hfft'?1 {r1 C11! for /I{4y_ il`lte Itest quality of hay is ]>I`t>tl1!tC(l

 i .
12 Kcztlttcky Ex/ens1`o11 Circa/ar No. 297
when lespedeza is cut when in full bloom. r·\ somewhat larger yield
is obtained if cutting is deferred until seed is partially formed, Init l
' the hay is less palatable and less nutritious. lt is advisable to cnt seed
lespedeza even before it blooms if much lodging occurs. for when duct
the plants lodge the lower leaves "scald" and drop off. thus redne yielt
ing the value of the hay. Scalding also tends to prevent the forina- cont
~ tion of new shoots after the hay crop is harvested. Korean lespe- ante
deza. if harvested at the blooming stage or earlier. usually produces ‘ afte
new branches from the stems, which mature sufficient ripe seed for are
V reseeding. This is one decided advantage of Korean for hay. lt is nntt
· believed that a crop which has not lodged will reseed itself in west stan
ern Kentucky if (`tlt in very early September. y
~ Korean lespedeza produces its first blooms about the middle of [hc
. ;\ugust in Central Kentucky in normal seasons. If July is very dry. wm
however, blooming is delayed. Kobe blooms about 2 to 3% weeks com
later; consequently. if the latter is eut in the full—bloom stage. it you
will not reseed itself. As a matter of fact, whether or not reseeding No
occurs is not of great itnportance in growing lespede/a hay, sinte ,
the cost of seeding is usually not heavy. . _
Curing I/tc Hay. Lespedeza cures quicker than any other legtnnc liu
hay, which is one important reason for its popularity, Hay ctll in [gil]
the morning can be stored safely the following day if conditions are EL;
favorable for curing. lt may even be baled safely the second da}. `il is
according to the statement of some growers. lt is the only legtnne  
hay that can be baled from the windrow or swath. without nntdt lis`]
danger of damaging in the bale.  
Like all legume hays, the best quality is obtained where innst <·l `
the curingioccurs in the windrow or cock_ lt searcely pays to corals *
lespedexa, however, since it cures so quickly. The hay should l><“ ""“l
raked before the leaves become dry enough to shatter » usually 5 t*' lm
fi hours after cutting. Very good lespedeza hay may be tnade lt} f"“l
curing in the swath but it should be raked early in the morning il mg-
vt ry dry, to prevent loss of leaves. 4 . lllf
SC|`l(`(`il lC$])(?(lCl2l Sllwllltl l)(; (‘ttl for liay when gilyottt liu lt> ls lilo
inches high. lf left mu