HOW TO GROW GOOD CLOVER. 121 



CHAPTER XIX. 



ON THE VARIETIES OE RED CLOVERS. 



The Trifolium pratense of botanical authors is 

 remarkable for the great number of varieties it 

 assumes, even in its wild growth; but these are 

 exceeded in the number of cultivated forms : thus 

 in any rich meadow we may make out several sorts 

 which may be expected to be more or less permanent, 

 whilst the market samples of seed will offer us several 

 varieties for the different countries of America, 

 England, Erance, Holland, Germany, &c. 



The following are some of the more prominent of 

 our native wild varieties : — 



1. Trifolium. pratense — Common Red Clover. — Head of pink ; 

 flowers, somewhat compact ; leaves more or less broad ; plant smooth* 

 in proportion to its size, the smaller wild specimens being usually very- 

 hairy ; stem more or less purple. 



2. Trifolium pratense, var. pallidum — Pale-flowered Clover. — Head 

 of very light pink ; flowers large, full, and more rotund than 1, and 

 almost double in size and in the number of its flowers ; whole plant 

 more or less hairy ; stem green. 



3. Trifolium pratense, var. album — "White Clover. — Flowers white ; 

 herbage a very bight green ; in other respects much the same as 

 the last. 



4. Trifolium pratense perenne — Perennial Red Clover. — Flowers 

 less compact than the common clover, whole plant having stems 

 inclining to dark purple ; leaves narrower. 



* In this, as well as the generality of forms, the smoother and 

 larger growth indicates cultivation, manuring will sometimes make 

 the difference. 



