IX EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 



189 



ground and on coast-sands, but develops itself for field culture with 

 the greatest vigour on river-banks or when subjected to a judicious 

 system of irrigation, particularly in soil rich in lime. Its deeply 

 penetrating roots render the plant particularly fit for fixing fenced 

 embankments or hindering the washing away of soil subject to occa- 

 sional inundations. The Peruvian variety (Alfalfa) resists drought 

 and frost better than the original European Lucerne. Dr. Curl, of 

 New Zealand, allows cattle to feed upon Alfalfa for two weeks, 

 then takes them off and puts sheep on for two weeks, to eat the 

 Alfalfa close to the ground. He then removes them and allows the 

 Alfalfa to grow for a month, when he repeats the process. He 

 allows five large cattle or twenty sheep to the acre. Lucerne is also an 

 important honey-plant for bees. Much iron in the soil or stagnant 

 water is detrimental to lucerne culture, while friable warm soil 

 much promotes its growth. Langethal records instances of lucerne 

 havmg yielded 011 the same field under favourable circumstances for 

 fifteen years four or five cuts annually. The chemical analysis of the 

 fresh herb collected very early in spring gave the following results : 

 Starch 1-5, gum 2-1, unfermentable sugar 3, albumen 2 -3, insoluble 

 proteins 2 -3, ash 2 '3 per cent. (F. V. Mueller and L. Hummel). 

 For sandy tracts a yellow variety (M. media, Pers.) deserves pre- 

 ference. To show how enormously plants are affected in their 

 mineral constituents by difference of soil, Lace has analysed the 

 ashes of lucerne (a) from granitic soil, (b) chalky soil with flints, (c) 

 clayey with chalk, jf^ohalky, and found 



Silicic acid .... 

 Ferric oxide .. 

 Magnesium carbona 

 Calcium sulphate . 



,, phosphate 



, , carbonate 



Potass carbonate 



Potass and sodium chlorides 



7 



/o 



41 



1-05 



7'15 



3-04 



8-11 



48-15 



29-19 



2-90 



7 



/o 



47 



29 



10-11 



7-51 



10-66 



49-68 



20-60 



68 



7 



/o 



58 



60 



9-05 



6-80 



19-71 



30-19 



26-09 



6-98 



Medicago scutellata, Allioni.* 



Countries at and near the Mediterranean Sea, where this annual 

 herb, as well as the allied M. orbicularis (Allioni), is regarded as a 

 valuable fodder-plant (Caruel), without the disadvantage of their 

 fruits adhering to fleeces like those of the prickly-fruited congeners. 

 For this particular reason the author introduced this plant into Aus- 

 tralia, where in the dry hot inland regions it has surpassed all 

 other fodder-herbs in value and resistance to drought. 



