II 1 



will be found as an essential constituent of eveiy mixture of grasses adopted for that 

 Tinrnose*. 



purp 



F m-y 



It flowers about the beginning of July, and the general crop of seed is ripe about the 



beginning of September. - 



Tt 



t i 



TrifoKum i'epens. White Clover^ White Trefoil^ Dutch Clover. 



4 A 



Native of Britain. Root perennial. Curt. Lond. 193 ; Flo. Dan. 990 • E. Bot. 1769. 

 This species of Clover is so familiar to every Agriculturist, that a specific description of it in a 

 work of this nature, may be unnecessary. 



The value of White Clover to the Farmer is well known. It is common in most, or rather it 

 is present in every kind of pasture land in Britain. From the circumstance of growing sponta- 

 neously in almost every kind of soil, few plants vary so much in size : in very dry and poor sandy 

 soils, it is often so sm^all, and grows so flat among the lower leaves of the herbage, that it is not 

 perceptible unless a turf is cut, and carefully examined by dividing it; hfeiice, oh breakino- up, 

 and manuring such soils, or simply manuring by top-dressing, a spontaneous crop of White 

 Clover appears where it w^as never observed before, and without any supply of seed : this has 

 led to strange conclusions respecting the propagation of plants. 



The central root of White Clover penetrates to a considerable depth in the soil, and the 

 plant is thereby better prepared to resist the bad effects of severe dry weather, particularly on 

 sandy soils. The branches that trail on the surface, send down fibrous roots from the joints, 

 which penetrate but a little way into the ground: hence it is, that the White Clover maintains 

 itself ui soils of opposite natures; for if the surface be too dry to afford nourishment to the 

 branches, the principal root preserves it; and when the tenacity and retentiveness of the soil 

 in a wet winter, is great enough to rot the tap-root, the fibres of the runners preserve the plant 



■ r 



in safety. From this habit of growth, top-dressings and a frequent use qf the roller encou- 

 rage the groAvth of this plant in an extraordinary degree. White clover, when cultivated by 

 Itself, is far from forming so good a pasture as when combined with |;he natural grasses, and t 

 have witnessed the dangerous effects of pure Clover pasture, on sheep, by inducing disease; 

 and at the same time, the superior value of it in pastures containing a due admixture of the 

 natural grasses: among many instances of this sort, oiie Is selected and mentioned in the intro- 

 duction to these details of experiments. 



On a comparison of the nutritive matter afforded from equal weigl^ts qf the White and Red 

 Clovers, it appears that the White Clover is inferior. - , 



* Hares and rabbits are very fond of this clover when cultivated on a rich soil. Some plants of it were brought from a tena- 

 cioiis cold clajej soil, on the borders of a wood, and planted in the grass-garden on a rich loam, for the purpose of comparing 

 It with the same species collected in a rich ancient pasture. I observed at the time I took up the plants near the wood, that 

 none of them seemed to have been touched by these animals, which were the only animals tliat bad access to thfe herbage. But 

 they preferred it throughout the whole season in the grass-garden, to almost every Other grasS Pf clover, apd completely broke 

 through a temporary fence, made specially for its prqtecjipn, ^nd disappointed my expectation in the results of some parti- 

 cular experiments. " 



