CHAPTER XV. 



CLOVER AS A FERTILIZER. 



DO not propose to have any quarrel with any one 

 about the order in which these subjects of drain- 

 age, tillage, clover and manure are treated. My 

 friend, S. H. Ellis, once said of a controversy 

 ^ at tne wr iter na( l in the papers over two of these 

 subjects, that the only difference he could see be- 

 tween the other fellow and myself was that he declared it was 

 manure and clover, and I wouldn't have it so at all, but fought 

 for clover and manure. If you can give better attention to what 

 I say in a different order, change it to suit yourself. It is the 

 entire four-horse team that I wish to drive, and the order in which 

 they are brought in is simply a natural one. Drainage lays the 

 foundation for the best of tillage ; but that is not enough alone. 

 It will help us get more from the soil ; but we w r ant next clover 

 to pump up from the subsoil, draw nitrogen from the air, increase 

 fertility by shading surface, etc., etc. Then we have done our 

 best so far. Next when we feed out any crops thus raised, we 

 want to be equally thorough in saving all the manure we can to 

 return to the land and still more increase the fertility. 



Now let us suppose, to start this question, that I grew timothy 

 in my rotation in the place of clover. Thousands of farmers do 

 grow it, you know. Many sow a little clover on it, but the tim- 

 othy, being well started in the fall, the clover does not amount to 

 much. Practically, as far as getting any benefit from clover 

 growing, as a means of increasing fertility is concerned, they 

 might about as well have entirely clear timothy. If I got 2^ 

 tons of timothy hay per acre, I would do well. This is a good, 

 large yield. It is seldom that there is any second crop here worth 

 cutting. In dry seasons there is absolutely none. In a wet, 

 favorable year there may be a ton per acre (dry weight) of after- 

 math. The fertilizer in a ton of this timothy hay is worth, ac- 

 cording to late tables that will be given in chapter on Manure, 

 $5 .48. Call the average of second crop half a ton per acre, one year 

 with another, and the three tons of crop would contain $16.44 

 worth of fertilizer. Now, if I cut this and feed it out, as every 

 one does timothy hay (that is, they do not plow it under), and save 

 the manure as carefully as possible, my animals will take out 

 about $2. 44 worth of fertilizer. Thus, if the manure was returned 

 to the field there would be about $14 worth of fertilizer from the 

 timothy crop. I do not know just what the roots and stubble 



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