Iv. 



by myself, yielding the quantities stated above. The roots (vhizonio) 

 were about as thick as a lead pencil when planted in November, 1889 ; 

 but when one was dug up in November, 1890, to send to Egypt, they 

 had attained the thickness of a man's thumb, many new rhizomes had 

 been produced, reminding me of the characteristic rambling habit of the 

 wild variety, which has not been observed to produce seed (Wagner) ; * 

 but under cultivation, seed appears to be produced, a sample of which I 

 have. Mr. Clotten informs me that the germination is very slow, indee<l : 

 that he has been unjustly blamed for having doctored the seed, and that 

 much has been dug up and destroyed before germination could take 

 place. There appears good reason to hope for a more robust growth next 

 season. The farmer who accepted the larger parcel reports, ' not much 

 to eat ; hope for a better crop next year. ' The plants w^ere seedlings, and 

 like Lucerne, it requires three seasons to arrive at maturity. Lathy nts 

 si/lvcstris appears to contain fully twice the quantity of actual feeding 

 material, as compared with any of our cultivated fodder crops, Aveight for 

 weight, in the natural green condition, the great difference being in the 

 relatively much smaller quantity of water naturally present in Latlujrus 

 sylvcstris. It is to be regretted that Professor Wagner's analyses do not 

 state the percentage of water. Upon comparison it will be seen that the 

 plants grown in the Museum gardens are distinctly less valuable than 

 those grown in Germany ; but it being well known that a bad crop is 

 not only less in quantity, but is also much poorer in quality, there is no 

 reason to think the virtues of the new plant have been overstated. 

 Indeed, the general statement that the plant is twice as valuable, weight 

 for weight, as any fodder crop grown I have already confirmed. It is well 

 known that the young or early growth of plants has a higher percentage 

 composition than that of the same plant when mature. It is probable 

 that the sample analyzed by Professor Wagner refers to the succulent 

 spring growth ; whereas the analysis I made was of the mature plant, 

 cut in August. after blooming, which fact may be quite suttieient to 

 account for the slightly lower quality of the produce. The palatability is 

 a quality of very great importance which cannot be ascertained satis- 

 factorily in the laboratory, but I understand from my farmer friend that 

 it is all that can be desired ; cattle eat it at once.and appear to relish the 

 same. The ether extract (otherwise called oil or fatty matter) is not as 



* The legume and seed of the wild plant are figured and described in Sowerby's 

 English Botany, Vol. iii., p. lOi), plate 402 ; also in Curtis' " Flora I.ondinensis." 

 Mr. W. B. Barrett informs me that they are also described in " Babington's Manual," 

 "Hooker's Flora," Br(ibisson's " Flore de Normandie,'" and Lloyd's '■ Flore do I'Ouest 

 de la France." Non.e of these writers eive any intimation that the lUunt does not seed 

 freely, Wagner's experience seems therefoie to be, to say the least of it, unusual.— Kn. 



