SPECIES AND VAKIETIES CULTIVATED. 91 



less palatable to cattle than the other Red clovers ; while, 

 owing to its creeping habit and large fibrous roots, it dis- 

 places the more valuable plants, and occupies the surface 

 in a far less profitable manner. 



Trifoli/um repens White or Dutch Clover is a low, 

 smooth species, with creeping stems, rooting at the joints. 

 The leaflets are inversely heart-shaped, often exhibiting a 

 darkish coloured mark near their base. The flower-stalks 

 stand erect, without leaves, and carry a globular head, with 

 white or pale pink coloured, sweet-scented flowers, which 

 are abundantly produced during the summer and early 

 autumn. The roots are fibrous, and ramify vigorously 

 through the soil. It is a plant very commonly met in all 

 the natural pastures, and even waste places on the Con- 

 tinent and in North America, as well as at home; and 

 although it possesses a great range of soils in which it 

 may be cultivated, it generally is met with in those of a 

 poor and of a dry nature. 



Trifolium hybridum Hybrid or Alsike Clover. This 

 is so named from being intermediate in its appearance 

 between, the Red and White clovers. It resembles the 

 former in its duration, size, and mode of growth, and the 

 latter in most other respects. It was introduced into this 

 country from Sweden, where it had been long in cultiva- 

 tion as the favourite clover for cold, moist clay districts. 

 Owing to the price of the seed being much higher than 

 that of the ordinary clovers, it has never been cultivated 

 to any great extent. In the northern parts of Scotland, 

 however, where it has been tried, it has succeeded, and 

 "been approved of. It grows fully as high as the Red 

 clovers ; the stems and leaves are quite smooth ; the flower- 

 heads, which appear in June and July, resemble those of 

 the White clover in shape, but are rather larger, and of a 

 good rose colour mixed with white. The stems are hollow, 

 and inclined to spread out, if the plants are not close on 



