and in the Stack in Hayma]dn(/. 57 



ten days later, at the last mowing, only 51 per cent, of moisture 

 in round numbers. It is hardl}' necessary for me to say that the 

 clover on plots 11 and 12 was far more advanced in maturity 

 than is likely often to be the case in actual practice, and that on 

 all the five plots it was more or less overripe. My intention, 

 in preserving- these five additional plots for further experiments, 

 was to ascertain to what extent and with what degree of rapidity 

 clover loses in weight and in quality after it has arrived at per- 

 fection for feeding purposes. 



It is interesting to notice the gradual diminution of the per- 

 centage of nitrogenous matters in the five last mowings. On 

 the ] (3th of June we found 11'31, in the dry produce, on the 23rd 

 only 9'31, in the week following 8"25 ; and this sinks to 7*94: in 

 another week, and on the 18th of July we get only 6'(J2 per cent., 

 and ten days afterwards 6"06 per cent, of nitrogenous matter in the 

 dry clover-hay. 



We have here a steady decrease of the percentage of nitrogen 

 in the dry produce at each experimental period from the 16th 

 of June to the 28th of July. 



Thus the perfectly dried clover-hay contained — 



Per Cent, of Nitrogen. 



On the IGthof Juue 1-81 



„ 23rd „ 1-49 



„ 30th „ 1-32 



„ 7th of July 1-27 



„ 18th „ l-OO 



„ 28th „ -97 



This loss in nitrogenous matter appears to me to be chiefly due 

 to the comparative small proportion of fine green leaves, and 

 greater abundance of woody matter which is found in overripe 

 clover-hay. At the same time I do not think the loss is entirely 

 due to this cause, and the whole subject is well worthy a special 

 investigation. It is extremely difficult to trace with precision 

 the changes which nitrogenous matters undergo in the living 

 plant, to determine their influence in the assimilation of atmos- 

 pheric plant-food, or to account for their accumulation in plants 

 at certain stages of their growth, and their diminution at others ; 

 though much patient scientific labour has been bestowed on the 

 investigation of the loss of nitrogenous matter which takes place 

 in the growth of agricultural crops, much more is still to be 

 done before we can trace with certainty losses like those which 

 take place, as Messrs. Lawes and Gilbert have shown, in the 

 growth of wheat. 



Looking at the Tables which give the weight of clover at the 

 five last periods of mowing, we find less and less fresh oiover at 

 each succeeding period. Mown on June 16th, 1 pole thus pro- 

 duced 152 lbs. of fresh clover. 



