Iviii 



environment of the plant being favourable and the number of times it is 

 cut. I lay great stress upon the latter point, because I find no error 

 more common than allowing, say hay, to stand until the seed is nearly 

 ripe, whereas it should be cut before there is any seed. The damage in 

 the decreased digestibility of the hay and the decreased quantity of 

 aftermath is more than the average farmer thinks po3sil)le. In the 

 proper cultivation of this new plant I suppose the colour of the bloom 

 should never be seen. ' Cut and come again ' should be the motto. 

 Manure. — 1 venture to differ entirely from the opinions expressed in Mr. 

 Clotten's circular, which, in brief, is equal to saying we can by this plant 

 draw food from the soil for ever -without returning any of it. We have 

 no proof that a plant can derive all its food from the atmosphere, but we 

 have very positive evidence to the contrary. We know that by continu- 

 ally removing crops the soil becomes less and less able to produce a crop; 

 that when we apply to a soil thus impoverished by the continual 

 demands made upon its resources, those elements essential to a plant in 

 a soluble form, the fertility is at once renewed. Hence, sooner or 

 later, manure will be required, depending upon the quality of plant-food 

 originally present, and the size of the crops removed (the demands 

 decrease the supply). By inductive reasoning (unfortunately we have no 

 experiments), I think nitrate of soda will not be a profitable application, 

 neither will sulphate of ammonia. Perhaps the most generally beneficial 

 will be lime well mixed before planting ; but here, again, everything 

 will depend upon the nature of the soil. Farmyard manure, the best of 

 all manures when good, may be applied with advantage. Superphosphate, 

 and bones, and shoddy, and in some cases kainite, will all be found 

 useful, according to the requirements of the soil. Lathyriis sylvcstris 

 may be made into hay, treating it carefully, as in the case of clover or 

 vetch hay, and, of course, into silage. From what I have seen of the plant 

 I do not think it adapted for feeding on in hurdles, but suppose it will be 

 less wasteful to soil if in yards. If sheep were folded, I think the plant 

 would be almost destroyed ; they would get too near the crown ; in a 

 Avord, the plant may be treated and used in a similar way to Lucerne." 



The next paper was read by the Treasurer " On New and Kare British 

 Spiders," and will be found in the present volume. 



The Mayor of Dorchester and some of the Town Council attended the 

 meeting by invitation of the Club in order to hear the next paper by Mr. 

 H. J. Moule, " Notes on Two 17th Century Minute Books belonging to 

 the Mayor and Corporation of Dorchester." This paper will be found 

 later in the present volume. Thanks having been offered to the readers 

 of the various papeis the proceedings terminated at about 4 p.m. 



