333 THE USES AND VALUE. 



directly, from the atmosphere, and of those used none are ex- 

 ceeded by clover in the large proportion of nutriment thus de- 

 rived. 



If the stubble and roots contain more than half of the manu- 

 rial value of red clover, and if live stock only appropriate from 

 five to ten per cent, of the nitrogen, and the other 90 to 95 per 

 cent, goes back to the field or dung heap, it certainly must be 

 the best practice, as a rule, to feed red clover instead of plowing 

 it all under. 



I have not seen a more concise and valuable summary of this 

 matter than the one by the late Dr. Voelcker, as found in the 

 Journal of the Eoyal' Agricultural Society of England for 1868 : 



1. ''A good crop of clover removes from the soil more potash, 

 phosphoric acid, lime, and other mineral matters, which enter 

 into the composition of the ashes of our cultivated crops, than 

 any other crop usually grown in this country.*' 



2. ''^ There is fully three times as much nitrogen in a crop of 

 clover as in the average produce of the grain and straw of wheat 

 per acre." 



3. " Notwithstanding the large amount of nitrogenous matter 

 of ash constituents of plants in the produce of an acre, clover is 

 an excellent preparatory crop for wheat." 



4. '^ During the growth of clover a large amount of nitro- 

 genous matter accumulates in the soil." 



5. '' This accumulation, which is greatest in the surface soil, 

 is due to decaying leaves dropped during the growth of clover, 

 and to an abundance of roots, containing, when dry, from If to 

 2 per cent, of nitrogen." 



6. *'The clover roots are stronger and more numerous, and 

 more leaves fall on the ground, when clover is grown for seed, 

 than when it is mown for hay ; in consequence more nitrogen is 

 left after clover seed than after hay, which accounts for wheat 

 yielding a better crop after clover seed than after hay." 



