224 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSTS. 



it is, that the white clover maintains itself in soils of opposite 

 natures ; for if the surface be too dry to afford nourishment to the 

 branches, the principal root preserves it; and when the tenacity 

 and retentiveness of the soil in a wet winter is great enough 

 to rot the tap-root, the fibres of the runners preserve the plant in 

 safety. From this habit of growth, top-dressings and a frequent 

 use of the roller encourage the growth of this plant in an extraor- 

 dinary degree. White clover, when cultivated by itself, is far from 

 forming so good a pasture as when combined with the natural 

 grasses, and I have witnessed the dangerous effects of pure clover 

 pasture on sheep, by inducing disease, — and at the same time the 

 superior value of it in pastures containing a due admixture of the 

 natural grasses ; among many instances of this sort, one is selected, 

 and mentioned in the introduction to these details of experiments. 

 On a comparison of the nutritive matter afforded from equal 

 weights of the white and red clovers, it appears that the white 

 clover is inferior. 



dr. qr. 

 The biennial red clover {Trifolium pratense), affords of 



nutritive matter - - - - - 2 2 



The perennial red clover {Trifolium prateme perenne), 



affords of ditto - - - - - 2 2 



The white, or Dutch clover {Trifolium repens), affords 



of ditto - - - - - - 2 



The brown five-leaved variety of white clover affords 



of ditto - - - - - - 2 2 



The white clover is therefore inferior to the biennial broad- 

 leaved red clover in the proportion of 5 to 4 ; and inferior to the 

 red perennial clover in the proportion of 10 to 9. The brown 

 variety of white clover is equal to the biennial red clover in 

 the quantity of nutritive matter it contains, but with respect to the 

 quantity of herbage, it is greatly inferior to the white variety 

 or Dutch clover. 



Sir Humphry Davy has shewn, that the nutritive matter of the 

 clovers contains a greater proportion of bitter extractive and saline 

 matters than the proper grasses ; and that when pure clover hay is 

 to be mixed as fodder, it should be with summer hay rather than 

 after-math hay.* 



* Agricultural Chemistry. 



