FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



121 



Lotus corniculatis, Linne. 



Birdsfoot-Trefoil. Europe, North Africa, North and Middle 

 Asia, extra-tropical Australia. A deep-rooting perennial 

 herb, readily growing on pasture-land, sandy links and 

 heathy places. This plant is well deserving cultivation on 

 light inferior soil, on which it will yield a greater bulk of 

 herbage than any of the other cultivated clovers ; it is highly 

 nutritious, and eaten with avidity by cattle and sheep. 

 From the great depth to which its roots penetrate, it is not 

 liable to be injured by drought. It well fills out vacant 

 places between higher fodder-herbs on meadows ; it is always 

 somewhat saline and welcome among hay. L. tenuis, 

 Kitaibel, is a valuable variety of the coasts. The nearly 

 allied L. major yields a still greater amount of herbage, it is 

 particularly suited for bushy and moist localities, and it 

 attains its greatest luxuriance on soils which have some peat 

 in their composition (Lawson). Here in Australia this 

 Lotus shows a decided predilection for wet meadows. 



Lotus Tetragonolobus, Linne. 



Countries on the Mediterranean Sea. Though annual, this 

 herb is highly valued for sheep pastures. The green pods 

 serve as a substitute for Asparagus. The allied L. siliquosus, 

 Linne, is perennial, and occurs in a succulent form on sea- 

 coasts. 



Lupinus albus, Linn^. 



The White Lupine. Countries at the Mediterranean Sea, 

 also in the Orient. An annual quick-growing herb, valuable 

 for fodder and for green manure. It is famed as the "Tra- 

 moso" in Portugal, to suppress sorrel and other obstinate 

 weeds by its close and easy growth. The lentil-like seeds, 

 after the bitter principle (Lupinin) has become removed 

 through boiling or soaking in salt water, become edible. The 

 Mediterranean blue-flowered Lupine (L. angustifolius, L.) is 

 superior to the yellow Lupine for seed harvest, but inferior 

 in other respects. It would lead too far to enumerate here 

 many others of the numerous species of Lupines, of which 

 unquestionably very many are eligible for agrarian purposes, 

 while all are acceptable as hardy, elegant and easily grown 

 garden-plants. One (L. perennis, L.) extends in America to 

 the Northern States of the Union and Canada; fourteen are 

 recorded from South Europe, seventeen from Brazil, and 

 numerous species from other parts of America, where the 

 limits of the genus are about Monte Video southward and 

 about Nootka Sound northward. The majority of the species 

 are perennial. The Egyptian L. Termis, Forsk., is closely 

 allied to L. albus, and of equal use. 



