142 HORTUS OUAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



from a rich ancient pasture that had never been under 



the plough, according to the oldest recollection. 

 Experiments. — At the time of flowering, the produce from 



a rich black loam is 20,418 lbs. per acre. 

 The produce of latter-math at two different cuttings is 



19,057 per acre. 

 The weight of nutritive matter contained in the latter-math 

 herbage is equal to that afforded by the flowering herbage. 

 The plant, as it passes this stage of growth, becomes woody, 

 particularly at the bottom of the stalks. It pushes forth 

 flowering stems during all the summer and autumn, if never 

 suffered to perfect its seed. It withstands the effects of 

 severe dry weather better than most pasture plants, owing to 

 their deeper rooting, continuing to flower even when the 

 surrounding herbage is burnt up on strong loamy soils. 

 The white clover* (trifolium repensj, and the hop clover (tri- 

 folium procumbens), are, at least so far as my observations 

 have extended, the only plants beside that retain verdure 

 and powers of growth under such circumstances. There 

 were favourable opportunities, during the long continued 

 season of dry weather in this year (1815), to observe the 

 powers of different grasses and plants to resist the effects 

 of drought : there were no plants on ancient pasture land, 

 on lighter soils, or on clays, that appeared so httle affected 

 by it as those I have mentioned. The common quaking- 

 grass (briza media), was to all appearance completely dried 

 up, while on a sandy soil, a rich black loam, and a strong 

 clayey soil, the fine bent grass (agrostis capillaris), and the 

 different varieties of the stoloniferous bent-grass or florin, 

 were, with respect to foliage, in the same state as the qua- 

 king-grass. This property, therefore, gives additional value 

 to the perennial red clover. 



On a comparison of the produce and nutritive qualities of 

 the broad-leaved clover (trifolium pratense), with those of 

 the above, the broad-leaved clover is found to be greatly 

 superior. 



The broad-leaved cultivated clover (trifolium pratense), 

 at the time of flowering, affords of nutritive matter, from the 

 produce of one acre of a clayey loam, 1,861 lbs. ; from the 



