334 On the Failure of the Red Clover. 



weight of 11| lbs. per solid foot, and the additional density and 

 compactness in the soil of this particular piece evidently enabled 

 the red clover upon it to endure the severity of the winter. 



In a field in the occupation of Mr. Ruddock, of Wentbridge, 

 upon the magnesian limestone, which was an open summer fallow, 

 but in the spring was sown with barley and red clover, the latter 

 died away in the winter from all parts of the field except 

 upon those headlands where the horses had turned round in 

 ploughing. These headlands where the clover was good gave an 

 excess of 5| lbs. per foot in weight (or 100 tons per acre) over 

 the soil which had no clover upon it, but which was covered with 

 weeds. 



In a field belonging to Mr. Rowley, of Kirk Smeaton, situated 

 upon the " red marl and gypsum," between the two beds of mag- 

 nesian limestone, one portion was oats and very inferior white 

 clover ; the other portion was barley and very good white clover. 

 The soil of the good clover, which was firm and dry, gave 6 J lbs. 

 per foot (of 17 X 17 X 6), or about 120 tons in weight per acre, 

 above the inferior portion. One half of the inferior clover was 

 manured with gypsum thrown from a deep drain, but the frost 

 equally destroyed the plants upon it. 



In several trials of the soils of fields, where circular patches 

 only of the clover had disappeared during the winter months, the 

 result was invariably the same, viz. a lighter weight of the soil, 

 and that averaging from 6 lbs. to 9 lbs. per solid foot of 6 inches 

 deep and 17 inches square. 



In another field, belonging to Mr. Stones, of Kirk Smeaton, 

 which was examined without knowing under what circumstances 

 the clover had failed, two trials gave only a difference per solid 

 foot of \ lb. between the portion which had good red clover upon 

 it and that which had no clover. In this case, however, Mr. 

 S. assured me that there was no clover after harvest to be 

 seen, and that it had been destroyed by the barley crop being ex- 

 cessively luxuriant, and which was " lodged." 



The theory here offered of the failure or destruction of clover 

 after harvest, viz. that it is always killed by the frosty and this in 

 proportion to the want of a certain degree of cohesiveness of the 

 particles of the soil, will alone explain all the contradictory opi- 

 nions that have been offered respecting the causes of its failure. 



1. It explains why some lands, as those situated upon the chalk, 

 oolite, and magnesian limestone, mentioned in the ' Report of the 

 Yorkshire Agricultural Society,' after being " tired " are by rest 

 able to reproduce this crop ; because, the more frequently the 

 clovers, or tares, or any large tough-root plant are sown, the less 

 compact and lighter in weight does that soil become; and, at 

 length, there is produced from this cause an incapacity of the 



