On Clovers. 440 



1st. The Sort of Clover. — If we go into any large clover- 

 field we shall find some indications of the following forms : — 



a. Trifolium pratense (No. 1), Common Red Clover, Broad- 

 leaved Clover. — Head of pink flowers somewhat compact, leaves 

 more or less broad. Plant smooth in proportion to its size (the 

 small wild specimens being usually very hairy) ; stem purple. 



h. Trifolium pratense, var. pallidum. Pale-flowered Clover. — 

 Head of very light pink flowers, large and full, nearly double 

 the size of a, more or less hairy ; stem green. 



c. Trifolium pxitense, var. album, White Clover. — Flowers 

 white, herbage a very light green ; in other respects much the 

 same as the last. 



d. Trifolium pratense, var. perenne (No 2), Perennial Red 

 Clover. — Flowers less compact than the others, the whole plant 

 having stems inclining to dark purple ; leaves narrower, and 

 always ovate. 



e. Trifolium pratense, var. perenne, sub-var. pallidum, Pale 

 Perrenial Clover. — A larger plant than the parent form, due, 

 like h, either to meadow or arable cultivation. 



f. Trifolium pratense, var. perenne, sub-var. album. White 

 Perennial Clover. — Not common, but still, like c, an albino 

 form, which is a prevalent variation in purple-coloured plants. 

 It is, perhaps, more delicate in constitution than the others. 



Now all these forms of clover are usually much mixed, and 

 unless the seed be very good, as regards purity of sort (which 

 must not be confounded with purity or cleanness of sample), 

 they may be made out in any large patch of clover. My own 

 observations on six different fields, three of which professed to 

 be seeded with broad-leaved clover and three with perennial 

 clover, are expressed in the following Table : — 



Table of Proportionals of different Clovers in Crops. 



Proportionals of Varieties. 



1. A very impure sample, nearly a fourth perennial. 



2. Better, but far from good. 



3. A fine field of Broad Clover. 



4. More than a fourth Broad Clover. 



5. Still impure. 



6. Less \i^Q perenne than either ; aspect almost that of Broad-leaved 



Clover. 



2 G 2 



