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Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) is a valuable forage crop, as it is highly palatable and does not tend to become woody if not harvested until early fall. However, the leaves dry very quickly compared to the stems and are quite brittle and break off when the stems are still at 30% or more moisture (WB). The ultimate stem bending strength was found to varyaccording to linear density, moisture content and maturity. The critical moisture content was found to be about 20%(WB). Above this level, moisturecontenthad no effecton strength, while below itstem strength increased rapidly with decreasing moisture content. For a given level of moisture content, there was a linear relationship between theultimate bending strength and thelinear density ofthe stem. The maturity ofthe plant had adefinite effect upon its ultimate bending strength as mature plants registered a greater resistance tobending force than young plants. Themodulus ofelasticity increased as the moisture content decreased.