THE ARTIFICIAL GRASSES DESCRIBED 37 



scarlet colour when in flower, stem pretty upright, much branched; the whole plant 

 covered with short wool or hair ; flowers in June and July ; height eighteen inches to two 

 feet; root annual, native of Italy. It is being grown with much success in England, 

 particularly in the southern counties ; but its culture is not attended with much success in 

 most parts of Scotland. The advantages to be derived from the cultivation of T. incarnatum 

 are, that when sown in autumn it may be cut and cleared from the ground in the beginning 

 of June following, and the land fallowed for wheat or spring corn ; it forms a valuable green 

 food for cattle at an early period of the season ; and, if cut when in full flower, yields a 

 more abundant crop, and makes a superior hay to that of common clovers, at least it is 

 more readily eaten by horses. There can be no doubt that the south of England is better 

 suited for the growth of the crimson clover than any part of Scotland, from the circum- 

 stance that the corn crops are much earlier removed : consequently the young plants have 

 more time to attain strength before the winter season sets in. A variety of the above 

 (T. incarnatum tardif of the French) was introduced in 1837, the results of comparative 

 trials with which were, that the plants came into flower when those of the common were 

 nearly over, and on being cut, their produce was fully a third heavier than any of the 

 others. 



13. Trifolium minus vel flliforme ( Yellow Suckling Clover, or Trefoil). Fr. Trifle 

 filiforme; Ger. Gelber fadenformiger klee. A fibrous-rooted sub-perennial; flowers from May 



to July ; heads small and loose ; colour of the flowers bright'yellow ; flower-stalks slender 

 or flexuose ; stems procumbent, leaflets scarcely having foot-stalks. This clover has been 

 recommended for growing on very dry gravelly or rocky places, which are incapable of 

 supporting the more valuable grasses and clovers ; but, from the small bulk of produce 

 which it yields, the propriety of its cultivation is questionable ; and besides, cattle are 

 not found to relish it if they can procure more nutritious food. Although too small to be 

 of much importance in pastures, it forms an agreeable mixture in lawns, especially where 

 the soil is too dry for white clover. 



14. Trifolium pratense (Common, or Rea Clover). Fr. Trefle violet or rouge; Ger. 

 Rothklee. A somewhat fusiform-rooted sub-perennial ; flowers in June and July ; colour 

 generally reddish purple, but of various shades, and sometimes even nearly white. In 

 addition to their shortness of duration, this and the rest of the biennial clovers are distin- 

 guished from the more permanent sorts by their roots being more fusiform (thick and fleshy, 

 or carrot shaped), and by their leaves and stems being generally smoother or less hairy. 

 That variety more particularly denominated English Red Clover is of a strong luxuriant 

 habit of growth ; its seeds are large, and of a bold purple colour. It is more particularly 

 adapted for rather superior soils. Like the other varieties, it derives its name from the 

 country in which it is grown ; and from being often the produce of foreign seed, it, in such 

 cases, partakes, to a certain degree, of the qualities of that particular variety from which 

 it may have been produced. Among the other varieties may be mentioned German, 

 Dutch, Flemish, or Belgian, French, American, and Normandy Red Clovers. The French 

 Clover is remarkably smooth in all its parts, leaflets roundish, and altogether of a rich 

 green succulent appearance : the seeds, which are chiefly from the southern departments 

 of France, are small, plump, and have a considerable portion of purple in their colour. 

 It is best suited for soils in sheltered situations. The Normandy Red Clover (Trefle de 

 Normandy of the French) is from the north of France, of a strong luxuriant habit of 

 growth, of a dark green colour, producing comparatively few flowers, and is some days 

 later than the common sorts. The American variety has smaller seeds, in which the 



