MANURES. 89 



stem, leaves and flowers taken at the period of growth when 

 the flowers had begun to fade. In order to get the mineral 

 elements he reduced the plant to ashes, one hundred parts of 

 which showed: 



Phosphoric acid, 5.82 



Lime, 35.02 



Potash, 18.44 



Soda, 2.79 



Sulphuric acid, 3.01 



Earthy matter, 34.92 



100.00 



"The striking feature of this analysis is the large propor- 

 tion of lime and potash. Now, while it is evident that the 

 clover did not produce these alkalies, yet it was the instrument 

 for collecting them and bringing them into easy reach of other 

 crops, and placing them in an available form for their use. The 

 clover sent its roots down into the subsoil, far beyond the reach 

 of the plow, and gathered up these important minerals and 

 incorporated them in its own structure; and this, being decom- 

 posed, leaves its elements in the surface soil, ready for the use 

 of subsequent crops." 



Many farmers fail to benefit their soil by clovering, from the 

 fact that they turn on it when too young and pasture it off too 

 closely. The development of the roots in the soil must corre- 

 spond with the growth of the foliage, and a clover pasture that 

 is closely cropped through the entire season will have but little 

 effect upon the soil. I think that clover should never be pas- 

 tured till the blossoms begin to show, and that this will be 

 found more profitable both for food and fertilizer than to turn 

 on it earlier. In favorable seasons I have had clover grow to its 

 full height the first fall, making a crop that would cut two tons 

 of cured hay to the acre. If, instead of cutting this, it is 

 allowed to remain and is turned under the following spring, it 

 will give a large amount of fertilizing matter for a corn crop. 

 I turned under clover crops of this age in the spring of 1882 

 and 1883 that were as heavy as any growth I ever turned 

 down, and produced as good effects on the corn crop that 

 followed. 



