53G 
Fourth  Report  on  the  Analysis 
Nature  of  Soil  and  Date  of  Collection  of  different  Clovers,  ‘ Artificial  ’ 
Grasses,  8tc. 
Date  of 
Collection 
(1849). 
Trifolium  pratense 
June  7 
‘ Forest  Marble  1 tenaceous  loam. 
Trifolium  pratense  perenne  . 
June  4 
Calcareous  loam,  with  gravelly  subsoil. 
Trifolium  medium  . . 
June  21 
Ditto. 
Alsike  clover*  .... 
July  16 
Calcareous  soil  of  a nursery-ground. 
Vicia  sativa  .... 
June  13 
‘ Forest  Marble’  loam. 
Plantago  lanceolata 
May  28 
‘ Bradford  Clav  ’ calcareous  loam. 
Poterium  sanguisorba 
May  28 
Ditto  ditto. 
Medicago  sativa  .... 
June  16 
Calcareous  rubbly  loam. 
Per  centage  of  Water,  Ash,  and  Sulphur  in  various  Artificial  Grasses, 
Clovers,  &c. 
Botanical  Name. 
Common  Name. 
Water. 
Ash  on 
wet  sub- 
Ash  on 
dry  sub- 
Sulphur 
per  Cent. 
stance. 
stance. 
Grass. 
Trifolium  pratense 
(Common  Cultivated) 
( Red  or  Broad  Clover  / 
81-01 
1-85 
9-56 
•269 
Trifolium  pratense  per- 
enne .... 
(Common  Purple  Tie-) 
j foil,  or  Clover  . . ) 
81-05 
1-58 
8-35 
•102 
Trifolium  medium 
(Zigzag  Clover,  or  Cow) 
( Grass  . . . . J 
77-57 
1-77 
7-97 
•206 
Vicia  sativa 
Common  Vetch 
82-90 
1-11 
6-50 
•238 
Alsike  Clover  . 
69-25 
2-12 
7-69 
•251 
Plantago  lanceolata  . 
(Ribwort  Plantain-Rib) 
\ Grass  . . . . ) 
84-75 
1-32 
8-68 
•326 
Poterium  sanguisorba 
Common  Salad  Burnet 
85-56 
1-15 
7-97 
•213 
Achillea  millefolium 
Y arrow 
. . 
13-45 
•167 
Medicago  sativa  f 
(Purple  Medick,  or  Lu-1 
\ cerne { 
69-95 
3-04 
10-11 
•273 
The  specimen  of  yarrow  was  sent  to  us  by  Mr.  Henry  Rayn- 
bird,  of  H engrave,  Suffolk  ; it  was  the  growth  of  18464  For  the 
rib-grass  and  burnet  we  have  to  thank  Mr.  Buckman,  Professor 
of  Botany  at  the  Agricultural  College  of  Cirencester,  from  whom 
thev  were  transmitted  through  Mr.  Bravender. 
H ere  then  we  have  a great  change.  With  a quantity  of  potash 
equal  to  that  found  in  the  grasses,  the  specimens  in  the  foregoing 
table  are  found  to  have  little  or  no  silica,  but  a high  per  centage 
of  carbonate  of  lime.  In  most  other  respects  the  two  classes  of 
forage-plants  have  a mineral  composition  not  greatly  unlike. 
It  cannot  fail  to  strike  the  attentive  reader  that,  whilst  in  natural 
* This  specimen  was  not  collected  till  the  seed  was  nearly  ripe, 
f Another  specimen  of  lucerne,  from  the  island  of  Fuulness  in  Essex,  gave  upon 
combustion  10-70  per  cent,  of  ash  on  the  dried  grass. 
X The  yarrow  was  dried  in  the  air.  In  this  state  it  contained  16-93  per  cent,  of 
water.  We  do  not  know  what  proportion  of  water  it  contained  when  fresh  cut. 
