646 



Spotted Medick. 



[OCT.^ 



spring, where wild white clover was plentiful, are now, owing 

 to the drought, a complete carpet of Spotted Medick. A 

 pasture where Spotted Medick is present will show bare patches 

 at a time when the rest of the pasture is quite green. This 

 is due to the fact that the Spotted Medick has completed its 

 life cycle, and has set seed. An examination of the ground 

 will reveal a plentiful amount of the " burrs " or fruit. A few 

 weeks will elapse before the next generation of Spotted Medick 

 arises and meantime the patch, which may have an extent of 

 some square yards, becomes crowded with weeds. As in hay, 

 so in pastures, before they are finally crowded out, the weeds 

 succeed in maturing their fruits and these are dispersed to the 

 detriment of the pasture. 



Information has just been received that Spotted Medick is 

 causing considerable trouble in certain pastures in the Isle of 

 Wight. It is stated that stock readily graze the Spotted Medick 

 till in flower, but after that stage refuse to eat it. 



Method of Distribution. — The spread of Spotted Medick on 

 the farm is very easy. The double row of hooks on the edge 

 of the twisted pod cause it to catch in the hair of animals. 

 In the case of sheep it catches in the wool and is most difficult 

 to remove. The difficulty, however, is not its spread within 

 a certain area, but its presence in quantity in certain areas and 

 not in others. Spotted Medick is found fairly frequently in 

 some localities while the plant in others is unknown. Until 

 coming to Devon, the writer had never seen the plant, and the 

 fact that it occurs plentifully only in certain places seemed 

 peculiar. Shortly after this, specimens were received from 

 Kent, where it has been a pest in orchards and was spreading; 

 there the source of the outbreak was said to be shoddy. Some 

 time later a sample of cleanings obtained from a wool mill was 

 found to be filled with the fruits or burrs. Finally, a visit to 

 a wool mill in Devon completed the story. The skins of 

 sheep with wool complete, were received from South Africa 

 and Australia, packed in large bales. Every bale examined 

 contained a plentiful supply of the burrs of Spotted Medick. 

 Several of the older workmen stated that the burrs came with 

 the wool from Australia many years ago, but not in that from 

 South Africa. Later some sheep from Australia were imported 

 to South Africa, and soon the burrs appeared in the wool of 

 the South African sheep, and now it often contains more than 

 the Australian wool. The washings of the wool and the clean^ 

 ings contain a marvellous assortment of fruits and seeds, in^ 



