CLOVER AS A PREPARATORY CROP FOR WHEAT. 471 



wheat crop is to be found in the abundant supply of available 

 nitrogenous food furnished by the decaying clover roots and leaves. 



Clover Soil No. 2, from the Bottom of the Hill, (Good Clover.) 



A square yard of the soil from the bottom of the hill, where the 

 clover was stronger than on the brow of the hill, produced 2 lbs. 

 8 oz. of fresh clover roots, or 1 lb. 11 oz. 4*7 grains of partially 

 dried roots, 61 lbs. 9 oz. of limestones, and 239.96 lbs. of nearly 

 dry soil. 



The partially dried roots contained : 



Moisture 5.06 



*0rganic matter 31.94 



Mineral matter 63.00 



100.00 

 *Containing nitrogen 804 



An acre of this soil, six inches deep, produced 3 tons Y cwts. 

 65 lbs. of clover roots, containing 61 lbs. of nitrogen ; that is, 

 there was very nearly the same quantity of roots and nitrogen in 

 them as that furnished in the soil from the brow of the hill. 



The roots, moreover, yielded .365 per cent, of phosphoric acid, 

 or, calculated per acre, 27 lbs. 



In the partially dried soil I found : 



Moisture 4.70 



*Organic matter 10.87 



•f-Mineral matter 84,43 



100.00 



*Containing nitrogen 405 



Equal to ammonia 491 



tlncluding phosphoric acid .321 



According to these determinations an acre of the soil from the 

 bottom of the hill contains — 



Tons. cwts. lbs. 



Nitrogen in the organic matter of the soil 2 2 



" " clover roots of the soil 61 



Total amount of nitrogen per acre 2 2 61 



Compared with the amownt of nitrogen in the soil from the brow 

 of the hill, about 11 cwt. more nitrogen was obtained in the soil 

 and roots from the bottom of the hill where the clover was more 

 luxuriant. 



The increased amount of nitrogen occurred in fine root-fibres 

 and other organic matters of the soil, and not in the coarser bits 

 of roots which were picked out by the hand. It may be assumed 



