MISCELLANEOUS PLANTS. 24! 



it gathers plant food from the soil. Its long roots 

 strike deeply into the same, and appropriate to them- 

 selves whatever they find there capable of nourish- 

 ing them, and when again plowed under they leave 

 the food thus gathered near the surface, and in a 

 readily available form, so that it can be easily taken 

 up by more shallow rooted plants. The strength of 

 the plant will of course depend upon such conditions 

 as climate, soil and soil constituents. The young 

 plants are readily eaten by sheep, and some of the 

 other domestic animals. At least, so it is claimed 

 by many authorities. The author has only grown 

 lupines to a limited extent, and not with results 

 highly encouraging. The tests were made in the 

 province of Ontario. In central Michigan, several 

 varieties, after numerous trials, have uniformly made 

 a slow, sickly growth. The seeds are not looked upon 

 as being of great commercial value. The greatest 

 value of the lupine arises from the enrichment 

 which it brings to poor soils, as light sands, gravels 

 and thin clays. 



The white lupine has not -been much grown 

 in this country, hence information regarding it is 

 meager. The localities, therefore, in which it is 

 likely to flourish cannot now be given with precision. 

 But there would seem to be no good reasons why it 

 should not be made to render valuable service in pro- 

 viding pasture for sheep and in bringing fertility to 

 poor, sandy and gravelly soils in such portions of the 

 United States and Canada as are favored with a 

 moist summer climate. Such are certain of the 

 soils of New England, northern Michigan and Wis- 

 consin and the Atlantic provinces of Canada, and 

 such is the climate in these localities. The same is 



* 16 



