CLOVER 35 



returned to the land, preferably within a day or two after 

 it is produced, in order to prevent the waste of plant-food. " 

 Illinois Experiment Station, Circular 145. 



Manural value of clover. A clover crop turned under 

 furnishes fresh organic matter which decomposes rapidly, 

 improving the physical condition of the soil, giving up avail- 

 able nitrogen for the plant's use, and liberating mineral 

 plant-foods of the soil, otherwise unavailable as plant-food. 



One ton of clover hay contains as much nitrogen as four 

 tons of stable manure, and, in addition, five pounds of phos- 

 phorus, thirty pounds of potassium, eight pounds of mag- 

 nesium, and about thirty pounds of calcium. There is about 

 the same amount of nitrogen in the roots and stubble of 

 clover as the clover obtained from the soil, so that removing 

 the clover crop does not add any new supply of nitrogen to 

 the soil. In systems of permanent soil fertility, clover must 

 be used in the rotation, and either fed to live stock with the 

 manure returned to the soil, or all of the crop but the seed 

 turned under to supply the nitrogen and organic matter 

 necessary for the -maximum production of farm crops. 



As to whether one should turn under all the clover growth, 

 either as manure or mulch, depends upon how much of the 

 nitrogen it contains is needed to balance the phosphorus in 

 the soil. If the second crop of clover is sufficient to balance 

 the phosphorus, the first clover crop may be removed and 

 the seed taken from !he second crop and the straw returned 

 to the land. Where the soil needs both crops, the first crop 

 may be clipped and left on the ground and a buncher used 

 to cut the seed from the second crop. The whole growth with 



