FORAGE CROPS. 357 



" Composition of Clover-roots^ No. l, {from brow of the hill.) 



Moisture 4' 34 



♦Organic matter 2653 



Mineral matter 6913 



loo'oo 



* Containing nitrogen "816 



Equal to ammonia '99' 



" According to these data an acre of land will yield 8 tons 12 

 cwts. of nearly dry clover-roots, and in this quantity there will be 

 about 66 lbs. of nitrogen. 



" The whole of the soil from which the roots had been picked 

 out was passed through a half-inch sieve. The stones left in the 

 sieve weighed 141 lbs. ; the soil which passed through weighing 

 218 lbs. 



" The soil was next dried by artificial heat, when the 218 lbs. 

 became reduced to 185*487 lbs. 



" In this partially dried state it contained — - 



, Moisture 4'^i 



♦Organic matter 9-78 



■I^Mineral matter 1 . . 1 . 1. . • . . . 1 1 86-oi 



lOO-OO 



* Containing nitrogen 'jgi 



Equal to ammonia '47 J 



t Including phosphoric acid '264 



" I also determined the phosphoric acid in the ash of the clover- 

 roots. Calculated for the roots in a nearly dry state, the phos- 

 phoric acid amounts to '287 per cent. 



" An acre of soil, according to the data furnished by the six 

 inches on the spot where the clover was thin, produced the fol- 

 lowing quantity of nitrogen : — 



Tons. cwt. lbs. 



In the fine soil I ii 33 



In the clover-roots o o 66 



Total quantity of nitrogen per acre I 11 99 



*' The organic matter in an acre of this soil, which cannot be 

 picked out by hand, it will be seen, contains an enormous quantity 

 of nitrogen ; and although probably the greater part of the roots 

 and other remains from the clover crop may not be decomposed 

 so thoroughly as to yield nitrogenous food to the succeeding 



