358 HANDY-BOOK OF HUSBANDRY. 



wheat-crop, it can scarcely be doubted that a considerable quantity 

 of nitrogen will become available by the time the wheat is sown, 

 and that one of the chief reasons why clover benefits the succeed- 

 ing wheat-crop is to be found in the abundant supply of available 

 nitrogenous food furnished by the decaying clover-roots and leaves. 



" Clover-soil No. 2 from the bottom of the hill., {good clover.) 



" A square yard of the soil from the bottom of the hill, where 

 the clover was stronger than on the brow of the hill, produced 2 

 lbs. 8 oz. of fresh clover-roots, or i lb. 11 oz. 47 grains of par- 

 tially dried roots, 61 lbs. 9 oz. of limestones, and 239*96 lbs. of 

 nearlv dry soil. 



" The partially dried roots contained : — 



Moisture 5 "06 



♦Organic matter 31 "9+ 



Mineral matter ..it. 6300 



lOO'OO 



* Containing nitrogen '804 



** An acre of this soil, 6 inches deep, produced 3 tons 7 cwts. 

 65 lbs. of clover-roots, containing 61 lbs. of nitrogen — that is, 

 there was very nearly the same quantity of roots and nitrogen in 

 them as that furnished in the soil from the brow of the hill. 



"The roots, moreover, yielded -365 per cent, of phosphoric 

 acid, or, calculated per acre, 27 lbs. 



" In the partially dried soil I found — 



(Moisture 4*70 



♦Organic matter 10-87 



j-Mineral matter 84-43 



loo-oo 



* Containing nitrogen -405 



Equal to ammonia -491 



t Including phospiioric acid -J21 



"According to these determinations an acre of the soil from the 

 bottom of the hill contains — 



Tons. cwts. lbs. 



Nitrogen in the organic matter of the soil ... 2 2 o 



" clover-roots " . . . o o 6l 



Total amount of nitrogen per acre. . . 2 2 61 



