482 



Prof. H. E. Armstrong and others. [Nov. 23, 



difference between the plots at the second cutting was probably a result of 

 the exceptionally dry condition of the season. The low yield on 2a is 

 perhaps the consequence of the excessive removal of alkalis from the soil in 

 previous years owing to the relative abundance of phosphate. 



Lastly, to deal with the value of Lotus corniculatus as a forage plant : 

 Mr. E. G. Stapledon, of the Koyal Agricultural College, Cirencester, in an 

 interesting report on the Flora of certain Cotswold pastures, published in the 

 ' Scientific Bulletin ' of the College (No. 2, 1910, pp. 29—46), makes the 

 -following statement in an appendix to his report : — 



Stebler includes Lotus corniculatus amongst "the best forage plants." It is indigenous 

 to all parts of England and thrives on all kinds of soil ; it is common alike on moors, 

 poor dry land at high elevations and on sandy maritime golf-links. It contributes very 

 largely to the keep of sheep which graze and thrive excellently on the stunted pastures 

 of the latter situations. The sward of the " burrows " by the Kiver Torridge in Devon 

 may be given as an example. . . . The Leguminosae are represented by Lotus corni- 

 culatus ; the variety L. crassifolius is also common. 



Prof. T. H. Middleton, in his paper on " The Improvement of Poor Pastures,"* 

 mentions Lotus corniculatus as responding well to basic slag, although, as he says, it is 

 mot such a good " soil improver " as Trifolium repens. 



Lotus corniculatus is referred to in Sutton's * Permanent and Temporary 

 Pastures ' as a very useful cropper ; it is described as standing the severest 

 drought and as able to grow on very light soils and even on clover- sick soils. 



Lotus major, for some reason which is not apparent, is spoken of as inferior 

 to Lotus corniculatus. Prof. Percival, in his ' Agricultural Botany,' refers to 

 Lotus corniculatus seed as being usually, adulterated with worthless Lotus 

 major seed. 



It will be of great importance not only to ascertain whether Lotus 

 corniculatus is a valuable forage plant but to what extent, if at all, its value 

 is to be correlated with the presence of the cyanophoric glucoside. Should it 

 be ascertained that the glucoside is of special value, it will probably not be 

 ■difficult to introduce into pastures the variety of the plant which is likely to 

 be of maximum value. A step will also have been taken towards solving the 

 problem to which we have called attention at the outset of this communicar 

 tion, as a method will have been devised which will be applicable to the 

 .study of other plants. 



We have naturally turned our attention to other species of Lotus. We did 

 not find hydrogen cyanide in Lotus tetragonolobus growing in the Saas valley 

 in August last year nor in plants raised this year at Lewisham and Beading 



* ' Journal of Agricultural Science,' vol. 1. 



