184 NORTH- CAROLINA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



lished by swine. Its root being creeping, it spreads far and 

 wide, and makes a durable pasture, which bears close feeding 

 remarkably well. Butter and cheese made from the milk of 

 cows whose pastures are dotted with the white clover, is su 

 perior to any other, all things being equal. 



White clover contains, when fresh and healthy, 



Water, 81.50 



Dry matter, 1 6.76 



Ash, 1.75 



In one ton of clover there are 234.08 Ibs. of inorganic mat 

 ter. The ash I found composed of 



Silica, 28.075 



Phosphate of lime, magnesia and iron, 19.325 



Carbonate of lime, 16.730 



Magnesia^ 2.175 



Potash, 10.830 



Sulphuric acid, 2.305 



Chlorine, 0.615 



Carbonic acid, 4.234 



99.979 



The white clover differs from the red in the composition of 

 its ash in containing a much larger amount of silica. It may 

 turn out that the foregoing determination is erroneous or is 

 too large. It may be accounted for, perhaps, by supposing 

 that fine sand adhered to the stem and leaves. 



LUCERNE (MEDICAGO SATIVA.) 



114. This plant belongs also to the leguminosre or pea 

 tribe. It is an inhabitant of a warmer climate than red clo 

 ver. It has been cultivated for fodder or the food of cattle 

 for twenty-three centuries. 



Lucerne requires a soil especially adapted to it ; it is not 

 therefore so easily cultivated as clover. It requires a tolera 

 bly rich soil, and one that is mellow and permits its roots to 

 penetrate deeply. A light sandy soil does not suit it, neither 

 does a stiff subsoil which retains moisture strongly, or is im- 



