THE USES AND VALUE. 331 



wheu plowed uuder, will I'uruish more uminoniu to the soil than 

 twenty tons of straw-made manure, fresli and wet, or twelve tons 

 of ordinary barnyard niani;re. 



'• I prefer to make the clover into liay and feed the animals, 

 as they seldom take out more than from five to ten per cent, of 

 all the nitrogen furnished in the food, — and less still of mineral 

 matter. It you jjIow it under you are sure of it. There is no 

 loss. In feeding it out you may lose more or less from leaching 

 and injurious fermentation. As things arc on many farms, it is 

 perhaps best to ploAV under the clover for manure at once. As 

 things ought to be it is a most wasteful practice. Clover is good 

 for wheat; jilaster is good for clover. The roots run deep, draw- 

 ing large amounts of Avater, and can live on very Aveak food. The 

 clover takes uj) this food and concentrates it. The clover does 

 not create the plaut food; it merely saves it. To improve sandy 

 land, instead of plowing the clover under or feeding it off, mow 

 the crop just as it commences to blossom and let the clover lie. 

 There would be no loss of fertilizing by evaporation, and the 

 clover hay acts as a mulch. Mow the second crop about the first 

 week in August." 



The following computation of the relative money value of one 

 ton of various foods for producing manure is from the experi- 

 ments of Mr. Lawes: 



Cotton seed uieal <$37 86 



Linseed cake 19 72 



Beans 17 73 



Wheat bran - 14 59 



Clover hay 9 64 



Indian meal , 6 68 



Meadow hay 6 43 



Oat straw 2 90 



Potatoes 1 50 



Turnips 86 



All agricultural plants draw most of tlieir food, directly or in- 



