284 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



crop of clover it would require 7 tons of manure per acre to furnish the 

 62.07 pounds of nitrogen, four tons to supply the 46.51 pounds of potash 

 and five and one-half tons to supply the 31.90 pounds of phosphoric 

 acid. A large share of the nitrogen in the roots of the clover is a direct 

 gift of the crop to the soil, since it is taken from the air. The same is 

 not true of the mineral elements, the potash and the phosphoric acid. 

 These materials are derived by the clover roots from the soil; they get 

 them, however, partly, at least, from strata of the soil below the reach 

 of the shallow-rooted cereals and by their decay leave them where the 

 subsequent crops can reach them. By adding to the store of nitrogen, 

 by loosening compact soils by means of their deeply penetrating roots, 

 and by bringing closer to the surface mineral matters which are far 

 toward escaping from the roots of the cereals, the clover crop aids in 

 restoring fertility to the soil. 



These facts are true, notwithstanding the fact that the hay carries 

 away with it a hundred and thirty-two pounds of nitrogen, nearly 100 

 pounds of potash, and over a third of a hundred pounds of phosphoric 

 acid per acre. If the hay is fed on the farm this fact is immaterial, 

 since these manurial elements will be returned with but slight reduction 

 in the resulting manure; but, if it is proposed to sell the clover hay, this 

 richness in the essential elements must be remembered. 



The palatability of clover hay is greatly injured by rain at the time of 

 haying. Clover is very succulent and dries slowly. If, when partly 

 cured, it is wet by rain, part of its soluble constituents are removed. To 

 dry it, the hay has to be turned, or, perhaps, shaken up by a tedder. This 

 operation shakes off part of the leaves, and if repeated many times the 

 feeding value of the clover hay is greatly reduced. An attempt has been 

 made to avoid this loss by storing the clover in the silo, as fast as cut 

 by the mower. Early in July, 1897, a small experimental silo, ten feet 

 deep and six feet in diameter, was filled with green clover. It held 

 2,773 pounds. It was opened in September, when it was found that the 

 silage had kept most excellently and had shrunk in weight to 2,587 

 pounds. The cows were running at the time on fairly good pasture, but 

 ate the clover silage with avidity. 



To determine how much well cured clover hay was represented by the 

 silage, 4,691 pounds of green, freshly cut clover was spread out to dry on 

 the 8th of July. On the 10th it was cured sufficiently to draw to the 

 barn. It then weighed 1,960 pounds. On the 12th of November, when 

 it was taken out for feeding, it weighed 1,740 pounds, or 37 per cent of 

 the original weight. The 2,773 pounds of silage represented, therefore, 

 1,026 pounds of well cured hay. The chief objection to putting the 

 clover in the silo is that it is slow and expensive work to draw to the barn 

 so much water. The green clover is inconvenient to handle, is raked up 

 with difficulty and makes hard work pitching on and off the wagon. The 

 comparative losses of field curing and siloing have not been deter- 

 mined. 



This trial of clover silage was a repetition of a similar test of a previous 

 year. All that is shown by these tests is that it is possible to ensilo 

 clover, that the silage keeps well and that stock will eat it with evident 

 relish. Nothing can be added to the value of the clover by the process, 



