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Anyone who's set out to find a four-leaf clover knows it's not an easy hunt. With so many also-rans to weed through, wouldn't it help to know the odds of getting lucky? Well, we've got good news and bad news. The good news is we found the answer. The bad news is, once you know it, you might think twice before diving into a field, fingers ready to pluck. According to several sources, there are approximately 10,000 three-leaf clovers for every four-leafer hiding amid the blades of grass. Those are pretty tough odds, but certainly not impossible -- just ask George
Kaminski. He holds the world's record for finding the most four-leaf clovers. As of St. Patrick's Day 2005, the Pennsylvania inmate had gathered 72,927 clovers from the prison yard. While many like to claim a mythical explanation for the existence of four-leaf clovers, a simple genetic mutation is the real cause. But don't let the science ruin the romance for you. According to legend, on a four-leaf clover, each leaf stands for something. One leaf symbolizes hope, one is for faith, another for love, and the fourth is, of course, for luck.
Editor's Note: March 17, 2006 One of our readers alerted us to the fact that his father, Ed Martin Sr. of Alaska, boasts 111,060 four-leaf clovers in his collection and is
currently challenging the record. We wish you the luck of the Irish, Ed!
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