21 



III. THE CONTINUOUS GKOWTH OF LEGUMINOUS 



CROPS. 



i 



1. In Hoosfield. 



It is a well-established fact in practical agriculture 

 in this country, indeed, in most other countries also, 

 that on only a few soils can a good crop of red clover 

 be obtained, even in rotation, so frequently as once in 

 4 years, and it is more frequently only grown once in 8 

 years. 



Experiments on the growth of red clover, without 

 manure, and with different manures, were commenced 

 in Hoosfield in 1848-49, and continued up to 1877 

 inclusive ; that is, for a period of nearly 30 years. A 

 chronological account of the experiments, with some 

 reference to the manures employed, and to the crops 

 obtained, is annually given in the "Memoranda," but 

 the general results may be briefly stated as follows. 

 In the first year, 1849, heavy crops were obtained on 

 all the plots, and especially with mineral, but without 

 nitrogenous manures ; although, compared with crops of 

 the Gramineous and other families, red clover, as well 

 as other Leguminous crops, accumulate a very large 

 amount cf nitrogen over a given area. 



Much smaller crops were obtained in 1851 and 1852, 

 but since that time nothing like a fair crop has been 

 grown on this ordinary arable land. Indeed, on the 

 greater part of the land, clover was sown 12 times in 

 the 30 years, 1848-77, and more frequently alone 

 than with a corn crop : but in 8 out of the last 10 

 trials the plant died off in the winter and spring suc- 

 ceeding the sowing of the seed. 



The experiments were discussed up to date (1860), 

 in No. 13 ; and again in 1871, in No. 32 ; and the 

 subsequent history has been given in the " Memoranda" 



