472 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



that the finer particles of organic matter are more readilj^ .decom- 

 posed than the coarser roots ; and as there was a larger amount 

 of nitrogen in this than in the preceding soil, it may be expected 

 that the land at the bottom of the hill, after the removal of the 

 clover, was in a better agricultural condition for wheat than that 

 on the brow of the hill. 



Experiments on Clover Soils from Burcott Lodge Farm, Leighton- 



Buzzard. 



The soils for the next experiments were kindly supplied to me 

 in 1866 by Mr. Robert Vallentine, of Burcott Lodge, who also 

 sent me some notes respecting the growth and yield of clover hay 

 and seed on this soil. 



Foreign seed, at the rate of 12 pounds per acre, was sown with a 

 crop of wheat which yielded 5 quarters per acre the previous year. 



The first crop of clover was cut down on the 25th of June, 1866, 

 and carried on June 30th. The weather was very warm from the 

 time of cutting till the clover was carted, the thermometer standing 

 at 80° Fahr. every day. The clover was turned in the swarth on 

 the second day after it was cut ; on the fourth day it was turned 

 over and put into small heaps of about 10 pounds each ; and on the 

 fifth day these were collected into larger cocks and then stacked. 



The best part of an 11-acre field produced nearly three tons of 

 clover hay, sun-dried, per acre ; the whole field yielding on an 

 average 2| tons per acre. This result was obtained by weighing 

 the stack three months after the clover was carted. The second 

 crop was cut on the 21st of August and carried on the 27th, the 

 weight being nearly 30 cwts. of hay per acre. Thus the two cut- 

 tings produced just about four tons of clover hay per acre. ' 



The 11 acres were divided into two parts. About one-half was 

 mown for hay a second time, and the other part left for seed. The 

 produce of the second half of the 11-acre field was cut on the 8th 

 of October, and carried on the 10th. It yielded in round numbers 

 three cwts. of clover seed per acre, the season being very unfavor- 

 able for clover seed. The second crop of clover mown for hay was 

 rather too ripe and just beginning to show seed. / 



A square foot of soil, 18 inches deep, was dug from the second 

 portion of the land wliich produced the clover haj'- and clover seed. 



Soil from pari of ll-acre Field twice mown for Hay. 

 The upper six inches of soil, one foot square, contained all the 

 main roots of 18 strong plants ; the next six inches only small 



