HOW TO GROW GOOD CLOVER. 159 



we have no doubt but that the dodder of the clover 

 progresses in like manner ; at all events, we see the 

 latter occupying more or less isolated patches in the 

 affected crop ; and in this case, as in the former, the 

 crop-plant is not only starved, from having " its 

 verdure sucked out," but it is borne down to the 

 ground and ruined. 



As regards its destruction, we should be careful to 

 look at our crops in their early growth, as, if the 

 sickly-looking, wire-like tendril be observed then, 

 it is easily removed by hand ; if, however, it has 

 made head, the best way would be to make a trench 

 of a foot wide around the plague-spots, which will 

 prevent its spreading, as the plant must have con- 

 tiguous clovers to twist round if it is to extend ; and 

 then burn some straw on the dodder plot, and it will 

 be wasted to death. Probably, however, the easiest 

 plan is to depasture the crop, — certainly not to seed 

 it down — in which case it will be impossible for any 

 dodder seeds to ripen. 



But here, as in other cases, the evil will be pre- 

 vented by sowing pure seed, whether of flax or of 

 clover ; and as the dodder is a small, brown, roundish 

 little seed, so different from that of either crop, there 

 is no difficulty in recognizing it where present. 



Orobanche — Broomrape. 



The Broomrape is now becoming a very pernicious, 

 clover weed, especially in lighter soils. We have 

 seen it on clover near Stonehenge so thick as to have 

 positively spoiled the crop ; and we should expect 

 from its bitter, disagreeable flavour, that if cattle 

 did not universally refuse to eat it, it might prove 

 mischievous to them. 



The species which attacks clover is the Orobanche 



