92 FOR BETTER CROPS 



Wheat and clover are inseparable in many sections, and 

 no cheaper or better fertilizer can be obtained. There are a 

 number of leguminous plants valuable for green manuring — 

 clover, cowpeas, soy beans, Canada field peas, and vetch — but all 

 things considered, clover stands easily at the head of the list. 

 Clover produces a netv^^ork of roots which penetrate the soil far 

 below the reach of the plow and contain more organic matter 

 than the foliage. The fact that a profitable crop of hay may be 

 cut and still leave fertility in the soil equal to ten or twelve 

 loads of stable manure to the acre, makes clover an ideal crop 

 for keeping up the supply of plant food. Even when the crop 

 is cut once for hay and once for seed the land is greatly bene- 

 fited. 



Corn fields that are to be seeded to wheat should be given as 

 near absolutely clean culture as is possible, and laid by as late 

 as the condition of the corn will permit. If this is done, it 

 will not be necessary, in ordinary seasons, to plow the land 

 before seeding to wheat. Whether to seed in the standing corn 

 or after it is shocked has been the subject of a number of 

 experiments, and the conclusions are in favor of shocking the 

 corn; as then the ground can be put in shape with the harrow 

 or cultivator and the roller or drag, making a mellow, well 

 stirred seed bed on the compacted corn ground below. 



Plant Food Elements— The question naturally arises, What 

 elements, besides nitrogen, does clover add to the soil? The analy- 

 sis given below of the clover plant — roots, stem, leaves, and 

 flowers, taken at a time when the flowers had begun to fade — 

 gave the following result: (In order to obtain the mineral 

 elements the plant was reduced to ashes.) 



Phosphoric acid, 5.82 



Lime, 35.02 



Potash, 18.44 



Soda, 2.79 



Sulphuric acid, 3.01 



Earthy matter, 34.92 



100.00 

 From this table, the large proportion of lime and potash are 

 seen at once, and they are two important elements in wheat 

 production. To get the best results from the clover crop, a 

 good stand is necessary, and this is much easier to obtain on 

 fields where the grain has been drilled instead of broadcasted. 

 It is often advisable to make two sowings of clover to overcome 

 adverse conditions, if either seeding fails to make a good stand. 

 Some soils are not adapted to growing clover; usually this is 

 caused by too much acid in the soil. The application of lime 

 will correct this; or other legumes than clover may be substi- 

 tuted, as they will grow where clover will not. 



