'CHEMISTRY OF CLOVHE. 131 



fast; and owing to their great numbers and powers of 

 increase, they are capable of inflicting great injuries on 

 the crops in which they have been observed/' 



Here, as indeed in well-nigh every case we have studied, 

 however, nature has provided a remedy, in the shape of 

 the Ichneumon braconide, one of that numerous arid 

 beneficent family which no doubt is intended specially to 

 check the excessive multiplication of insects injurious to 

 our crops. These natural means, however, do not always 

 save us from the loss of our crops, which might be mate- 

 rially prevented by taking the precaution to cut early, and 

 feed off while green, the clover crops which are known or 

 supposed to be much infested by the weevils to carefully 

 avoid allowing the clover to remain for more than two 

 years in the same ground and to avoid allowing clover 

 infested by the weevil to stand for seed purposes. Curtis 

 recommends that the field intended for seed should be 

 swept with a light bag-net, directly the flowers first begin 

 to show themselves, in order to get rid of the weevils, 

 which would, if allowed to remain and multiply, effectu- 

 ally destroy the chances of a crop of seed. The contents 

 of the bag could readily be destroyed by immersion in hot 

 water, or by the vapour of turpentine in a covered vessel. 



It would appear also that clover crops are not exempt 

 from the inroads of the curious little worms called Vibrio, 

 for it is stated by Mr. Murcott, of Leamington, 1 that he 

 had discovered in the interior of Red clover seed some 

 worms which he believed to be a Vibrio. 



The chemistry of our clover crop has received con- 

 siderable attention of late years, and we are now made 

 pretty well acquainted with both the organic as well as 

 inorganic composition of the several species met with in 

 cultivation in this country. The average composition of 

 the plant, in its natural or green state, may be taken at 



i Agri. Gaz., March 20th, 1852. 



