( 446 ) 



XXIX. — Oil Clovers. By James Buckman, F.L.S., F.G.S., &c. 



Professor of Geology and Rural Economy. 



The Clover crop is so valuable, either for soiling and green 

 food, or as supplementary to meadow hay, with a yet more nutri- 

 tious herbage, it forms so harmonious a contrast with the cereal 

 and other grass crops, it so frequently excites apprehensions of 

 failure, and thus prompts us to look around for remedies, or for 

 new and hardier species or varieties, that no apology need be 

 offered for a few notes of experiments and observations on this 

 tribe of plants, selected with special reference to the interests of 

 the English farmer. 



The leading characteristic of the genus is the trifoliate leaf, 

 each leaf being composed of three leaflets ; hence the Greeks 

 called it rpi^vWov : the Latins trifolium, from tres., three, and 

 folium, a leaf: the French, trcfle : and the English, trefoil or 

 clover. Moreover it has a rounded, or capitate, head of flowers. 

 In England we confine the term trefoil to the genus Trifolium as 

 thus described, while other fodder forms of the Papilionacca are 

 distinguished as clover allies ; the French, however, use the term 

 trefle for the medics, saintfoin, and others. 



As regards the species, our Native Floras describe somewhei'e 

 about twenty. Beck, in his 'United States Botany,' has de- 

 scribed seven species, the three following of Avhich are stated to 

 be " introduced." 



Trifolium pratense, " Red Clover, introduced from Europe." 



Trifolium Pcnnsylvanicum, " Buffalo Clover, resembles T. 

 medium of Linnaeus, introduced." 



Trifolium agrarium, " Golden Clover, introduced from Europe." 



I have referred to these names in order to direct attention 

 to some practical observations connected with them, Avhich bear 

 upon our own agriculture. 



Firstly. With regard to the American " red clover," as I have 

 seen it brought into New York for soiling purposes, and noticed it 

 elsewhere in the States, it is a much larger and coarser plant 

 than any we cultivate in England ; this is doubtless due to a 

 longer and warmer summer. Seed from this source, more espe- 

 cially if used in the colder parts of England, will be likely to 

 cause disappointment, and I believe that much of the so-called 

 clover sickness is due to want of attention in the selection of seed. 



The wilder clover, as introduced in the meadows by the early 

 European settlers, is usually the small hairy plant that we meet 

 with at home, figured in English Botany, pi. 1770, and greatly 

 different from lYifolitan pratense of Sinclair, which is larger and 

 quite smooth, and described by him under the head of Trifo- 

 lium pratense perenne. 



