ON PLANTS IN RELATION TO ANIMALS. 
685 
of the pests, the former animal, indeed, literally ploughing 
up the stubbles to get at such dainty food as slugs and 
worms, whilst the birds are no less industrious, like the pigs, 
in picking up, not only the animals, but any corn that may 
be scattered about; and as they all fatten readily on such 
treatment, it may be considered a profitable way of growing 
bacon or of fattening a stubble goose, and more especially if 
it tends to preserve a desired crop. 
“2. Alsike Clover. 
“ French, Trefle hybride ; German, Bastard Klee. 
“ Stem 9 inches to 2 feet high, branched, flexuous. Leaves 
of the radical tufts and base of the stem on petioles, often 
S or 4 inches long. Leaflets f to 1J inch long, with the 
lateral veins excurrent, forming more or less projecting teeth. 
Stipules herbaceous towards the apex, but white, with green 
veins, towards the base. Peduncles from the axils of the 
upper leaves commonly 2 to 4 inches long. Flower-heads 
f to 1 inch across, becoming much flattened on the upper 
side by the bending down of the flowers after flowering, 
when the elongate arched pedicles become visible at the 
apex of the head. Flowers about J- inch long, whitish, 
tinged with pale rose. Calyx somewhat membranous, 
whitish, with the teeth green ; the upper teeth a little longer 
than the others. Corolla with the standard folded down 
over the fruit, retaining its shape, but turning brown and 
membranous, striated. Pods ovoid, obtuse at the apex, 
compresssed, not bossulated. Seeds flattened and notched 
at the hilum. 
u Plant bright green, with the leaflets having often a 
white mark in the centre. Stems and peduncles with a few 
adpressed hairs, but otherwise the plant is glabrous.” 
Such is the botanical description of this interesting clover 
as given by Dr. Syme.* 
Its agriculture is highly important, as it supplies a plant 
which was much wanted as a variation to our rotations of 
crops. 
It appears that land in which the common red clovers are 
made to take their rotations for two or three series becomes 
what is called “ clover-sick,” that is, it is made incapable of 
growing a plant of the ordinary red clover; in this position 
there does not appear to be the same objection to Alsike 
clover, as it will grow where red clover has failed. This 
side of the question is well wrought out in the following 
extract: 
L1II. 
* ‘English Botany/ vol. iii, page 53. 
47 
