Amos William Howard (31 May 1848  – 2 March 1930) pioneered the introduction of subterranean clover as a fodder plant in Australia.

[1] In 1876 they migrated with their three children to South Australia on the ship Lightning,[3] which ran aground on the Troubridge Shoal shortly before reaching its destination.

[4] In 1880, while employed as a gardener by South Australian politician, George Fowler, he wrote an essay for the Agricultural Society committee on how to pack fruit, such as grapes, plums and apples for export to England.

[5] Howard later established a nursery at Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills[1] where, in about 1889 that he noticed subterranean clover growing near a neighbouring property where he supposedly had gone to buy a cow.

An article first appearing in the Adelaide Chronicle of 10 February 1906[8] included the following: In the Mount Barker district we have a weed which I believe will go far to solve the problem of introducing nitrogen into the soil.

The seed is sown naturally on the surface, and appears to require no covering, as soon after the early autumn rains we find the plants established and racing away from all other herbage.