RED OR PURPLE CLOVER 



rarely uniform all over a seed. The broadest end is a rich 

 purple, which shades off into a flesh-colour, or yellowish grey 

 at the opposite end. Along with the seeds which exhibit these 

 two colours, there are usually in all samples some which are of a 

 fairly uniform yellow tint all over. Those samples, however, 

 which possess the greatest number of purple seeds are the best. 



Unripe ones are not so rich a purple, more yellow seeds are 

 present, and there is a slight tinge of green about them. The 

 presence of pods with the seed still in them is also indicative of 

 immaturity. 



When the seeds are kept, the purple colour changes consider- 

 ably, becoming lighter and redder. Even with seeds two or 

 three years old, stored under the most favourable conditions, 

 a buff-red tinge is noticeable. Unfavourable weather at harvest- 

 ing alters the colour similarly ; but in such instances the reddish 

 seeds are only met with here and there in the sample. The 

 same irregularity of colour is seen also in samples consisting of 

 old and new seed mixed. Good red clover seeds always have 

 very bright, shining surfaces. 



Purity. — This should be 98 per cent, in good samples, but 

 it is often lower than this, as many weed seeds if grown with the 

 crop cannot easily be separated from the clover on account 

 of their similarity in size. A very large number of impurities 

 have been met with in samples, those of most common occur- 

 rence and which should be avoided are : Yellow Trefoil 

 (A'ledicago lupulina L.) ; narrow - leaved plantain [Plafitago 

 lanceolata L.); several species of Dock, such as Rii?>iex Aceto- 

 sella L., and R. obtusifolius L. ; Field Chamomile {Anthemis 

 arvensis h.) ; Ox-eye da.isj (Ckrj'santkemum leucanthemum L.); 

 White and Red Campion [Lyc/viis vespertina Sibth. and Z. 

 diurtia Sibth.) ; Nipplewort {Lapsaiia communis L.) ; Dove's- 

 foot cranesbill {Geranium dissectuni L.) ; Clover dodder {Cusaiia 

 Trifolii Bab.), and Broom-rape {Orobanche mi)ior .Sutt.) The 

 yellow seeds of Trefoil are not difficult to recognise from the 



