Aiithyllis Vulneraria (^Lcuhjs Fingers). 161 



The province of Groningen supports, at its own expense, an ngri- 

 cultural school, which is well attended. Among the circum- 

 stances favourable to agriculture, the number and excellence of 

 the means of communication must be taken into account. Heavy 

 traffic is all managed by water. Unrivalled facilities for navig-a- 

 tion are afforded by the extent of sea-coast ; by the Zuyder Zee, 

 which penetrates far into the country, like an inland sea ; by the 

 multitudes of islands and river-mouths ; by the rivers and canals 

 that interlace and cross each other. On the seaboard there is 

 not a farm without its dyke communicating with the nearest 

 canal, Avith its boat for the conveyance of hay, manure, and the 

 crops. It is by boat that the milk is brought home morning and 

 evening from the pastures. The roads that complete this net- 

 Avork are paved with bricks so hard that they ring like metal ; 

 perfectly kept, neat, even, without dirt or dust, you roll along as 

 smoothly as upon the floor of a room. 



Up to the present time there have been no railways over a 

 great part of the country, and indeed they were less required here 

 than elsewhere. They are now making progress every day. 



XIII. — On Anthyllis Vulneraria {Ladijs Fingers) as a Fodder 

 Plant. By James Buckman, F.L.S., F.G.S., &c., Professor 

 of Geology and Rural Economy. 



The Anthyllis Vulneraria (Lady's Fingers, or kidney vetch), is 

 a plant commonly met with in this country, as well as over a 

 great part of Europe and Asia. It is found, according to Ben- 

 tham, ' In dry pastures and rocky stony places, chiefly in hilly 

 districts throughout Europe and Western Asia, from the Medi- 

 terranean to the Arctic Circle. Ranges generally over Britain, 

 although here and there considerable districts may be without 

 it.'* 



The fact that this plant is tabulated in nineteen out of twenty 

 local Floras, shows how general is its growth throughout our own 

 island. It is, however, a lover of limestones, or calcareous soils, 

 such as the oolites of the Cotswolds, the chalk ranges both in 

 the South and West, and (according to Leighton) in Shropshire, 

 ' on all limestone soils, especially Wenlock Edge (Wenlock lime- 

 stone), Gleeton Hill, near Wenlock (Wenlock limestone), &c."t 



The Anthyllis may be distinguished by a compact head of 

 yellow flowers, which is composed of two many-flowered bunches, 



* ' Handbook of British Flora.' p. 172. 

 t Leighton's ' Flora of Shropshire,' p. 351. 

 VOL. II. — S. S. M 



