24 



PASTURES AND PASTURE PLANTS 



CHAP. 



soon crowd it out of existence ; but for short leys of not more than 3 years 

 duration it may be grown in conjunction with clovers. It does best on land 

 that has been well manured for a preceding root crop ; and applications of 

 liquid-manure, ashes, compost and gypsum are all desirable. 



Trefoil ; Hop-Clover {Medicago lupulina). — Perennial, with widely 

 spreading branches, which eventually interlace, making a complete covering 

 for the ground ; flowering at the end of May. Although neither enduring nor 

 very productive, this plant is useful for forming " bottom-herbage " where 

 better clovers do not succeed. It thrives on all soils containing lime, except- 

 ing those that are wet or extremely dry; luxuriates on stiff marls ; withstands 

 drought well ; and resists cold better than Red clover. Trefoil starts tolerably 



early in spring ; attains to its 

 maximum yield the first season, 

 giving comparatively little latter- 

 math, and generally dies out after 

 being mown the second year. 

 The procumbent growth of the 

 stems makes the plants much 

 more suitable for grazing than 

 mowing ; indeed, they are diffi- 

 cult to cut. The succulent fodder 

 is more nutritive than medium 

 quality Red clover ; but it is not 

 a favourite food of any stock. 

 Sinclair, at the time of flowering, 

 obtained 13,612 lbs. of green, or 

 5,104 lbs. of dried, fodder from 

 an acre of sandy loam ; and 

 Warner estimates the average 

 yield of hay per acre to be 1,760 

 to 2,640 lbs. from light, sandy 

 soil, and 3,500 lbs. from better 

 land. Seed is abundantly pro- 

 duced, and the crop should be 

 taken when the pods become 

 black. Charlock {Sinapis arven- 

 sis) and Plantain {Plantago lanceo- 

 latd) seeds are common impuri- 

 ties. Good commercial samples 

 ought to have 97 per cent, of purity and 85 per cent, of germination, about 

 i8'5 lbs. of shelled seed being required per acre. It is not adapted for sowing 

 pure, being only suitable for use in mixtures of grasses and clovers for temporary 

 pasturage where Red clover does not thrive, as cattle and sheep seldom eat 

 its herbage except from necessity. On sandy soils it is profitably sown with 

 rather less than twice its weight of White clover ; but Red clover and Italian 

 rye-grass also do excellently in conjunction with it. 



Trefoil. 

 {^Medicago IjipuUna.) 



Onobrychis — Sainfoin 



Common or English Sainfoin {Onobrychis sathx, var. communis). — 

 Very deeply-rooting perennial, with erect, much-branching stems ; flowering 

 towards the middle of June ; and maturing seed about a month later. Its 

 hardiness and enduring character combine to make this the most valuable of 



