164: Anthyllis Vulneraria {Ladys Fingers], 



long silhy hairs; in cultivation this often attains a length 

 of two inches, and a breadth of five-eighths of an inch, and 

 is only slightly hairy; such is the improved English plant. 

 In the French plant this leaflet attains the length of three 

 inches, and the breadth of one inch, and is quite smooth. I 

 am disposed to think that the size of these leaflets may be roughly 

 taken as a measure of the succulency and feeding value of each 

 variety, and I have already stated that my experiments in 1865 

 on the cultivated and smoother varieties of the Anthyllis had 

 modified the opinion which I had formerly expressed with 

 reference to the wild plant with its hairy foliage. 



My experiments with the clover and the kindred species also 

 brought out the fact, that while most of the true clovers were 

 attacked by the Broomrape {Orobanche), the Anthyllis in all 

 my plots entirely escaped. I find, moreover, in the French 

 ' Journal d' Agriculture Pratique ' for April, 1864, mention of the 

 Trcfle violet (Lucerne) being injured by dodder, while the 

 Anthyllis jaune escaped. 



I have not as yet given this plant any extended trial in field- 

 cultivation, but I purpose to do so this year, and think that it is 

 of sufficient importance to warrant my asking other farmers to 

 join in the inquiry. 1 still hold, however, that the plant in its 

 wild unaltered form, as grown on poor soils " where nothing 

 else will grow," will only give results that are more or less 

 disappointing ; but if by good cultivation and more generous 

 treatment we can succeed, as there seems reason to anticipate, in 

 making of this stunted hairy kinsman of the clovers a fine 

 smooth succulent forage-plant, it may encourage us to deal in 

 like manner with other members of this family, which I am 

 convinced includes many species that may be made useful to 

 the farmers besides those at present in cultivation. The French 

 Agricultural Journals strongly recommend the cultivation of the 

 crop in question, and generally upon the grounds that it comes 

 in as a green crop a little later than the Trifolium incarnatum, 

 or even than the Trijie incarnat extra-tardif. It is grown in 

 France much in the same way as the T, incarnatum, namely, 

 well harrowed after harvest into the oat or wheat stubbles to be 

 ready for feeding the following summer. It, however, differs 

 from the T. incarnatum in that this is annual, while the 

 Anthyllis is a perennial plant, and if grown in good mixed 

 marly or calcareous soils it holds on to the ground with great 

 pertinacity, though repeatedly cut down. In fitness for a hay 

 crop it is superior to the T. incarnatum, as it is not so sticky 

 and more juicy, if taken at a right time just as the flowers 

 have opened, but this superiority of course depends upon 

 whether we have the cultivated sort which will best be secured 



