130 HOW TO GROW GOOD CLOVER. 



scarcely began to decline after ten years. This remark 

 applies with full force to all the green-food crops of 

 this order. Weeding early, mowing when cut, and 

 an occasional top-dressing, would increase the dura- 

 bility of all the perennial species. 



V. Melilotus — Melilot. 



These are pea-flowered plants, with ternate leaves, 

 and spikes of flowers drooping to one side : it is named 

 from mel, honey, in allusion to its flavour, and the 

 genus Lotus, by which we may understand it to be 

 a sweet-scented lotus-like plant. We have two native 

 species, distinguished thus : — 



Melilotus officinalis, an annual, with yellow flowers. 



M. leucantha, a biennial, with white flowers. 



Of these we may conclude that the flavour, which 

 is like that of the Anthoxantlium odoratum — sweet 

 vernal grass — is too strong and bitter to allow of its 

 being recommended for culture alone; but we are 

 inclined to think that, if grown in small quantity 

 with seeds, or if a separate patch be cut and arranged 

 sandwich- wise in the seed-rick, the melilot s would 

 give that sweet flavour which seems to be the prin- 

 cipal cause of the superior qualities and sweetness of 

 natural meadow as compared with artificial grasses. 



Seeds have been forwarded to us of what is named 

 " Cabool Clover," and another packet labelled " Bok- 

 hara Clover," both of which appear to belong to the 

 M. leucantha, though certainly of a larger form than 

 our native species, and probably consisting of the 

 M. leucantha major. This latter must be cut young 

 if used as recommended, as it soon gets woody. A 

 correspondent of the Royal Agricultural Society has 

 recently recommended the full-grown plant for paper- 



