14 



in one month, when covered. 3,460 pounds per acre. 

 While the rival lot not covered, yielded but 970 

 pounds. Clover that was covered grew six inches, 

 while that uncovered grew but one inch and a half. 



And whern a certain quantity of stall dung would 

 double the crop of grass, the mulch spread on top of 

 the manure would increase the crop six times. He 

 used abont one ton and a half of straw per acre. 

 " Boussingault found, upon comparing water ob- 

 tained by melting two portions of snow, ono taken 

 immediately as it fell upon a stone terrace, and the 

 other (from the same fall) after it had lain for 36 

 hours upon the soil of a contiguous garden, that the 

 second contained ten times as much ammonia as 

 the other. It is well known that snow has a most 

 beneficial effect upon soils, and amongst other causes, 

 Boussingault believes that it may act in preventing 

 ammoniacal emanations from the soil." Journal of 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. 



Now we can believe there is much truth in the old 

 proverb, that, *' Snow is the poor man's manure." 



Not having straw, nor any barn-yard material, to 

 top-dress his wheat, he has often noticed that his 

 crop was much better when kind nature covered it 

 for him. 



Does not this investigation of the great chemist 

 leveal to us one, if not more, of the deep arid far. 

 reaching causes why mulching is so beneficial to the 

 land. 



Professor Johnson says : 



"The ammonia of the soil is constantly in motion 

 or suffering change, and does not accumulate to any 

 great extent. In summer the soil daily absorbs 



