114 Fool I KOK Plants. 



feature i.s of great value to agriculture, but not so much 

 from the plant food i)oint of view as from the fact that 

 these phmts are rich in that kind of food substance com- 

 monly called '' flesh formers." Liberally fertilized, and 

 not omitting Nitrate in the fertilizer, we have a crop 

 containing more nitrogenous food (protein or flesh 

 formers) than the Nitrogen actually given as fertilizer 

 could have made by itself. The most common plants of 

 this class are : Alfalfa, alsike clover, crimson clover, red 

 clover, Japan clover, cow peas, lupines, Canadian field 

 peas, the vetches, etc. All these forage crops should be 

 sown after clean culture crops. The best method of fer- 

 tilizing is to apply from 300 to 500 pounds of fertilizer 

 early every autumn; in the spring broadcast 200 

 pounds of Nitrate of Soda, and repeat with about 100 

 pounds after each cutting. It is true that clovers may 

 supply their own nitrogenous plant food, but this is an 

 experiment experienced farmers do not often repeat. 

 A fair green crop of clover, for example, removes from 

 the soil some 160 pounds of Nitrogen, while in 500 pounds 

 of Nitrate of Soda there are less than 100 pounds. Un- 

 doubtedly, the Nitrogen taken from the air is a great 

 aid, but we should not expect too much of it. The method 

 of seeding clovers depends much upon locality and soil 

 needs with reference to previous crops. Crimson clover 

 and Canadian field peas are usually sown in August, 

 after earlier crops have been removed, or even in corn 

 fields. Red clover is commonly sown in the spring on 

 wheat or with oats. 



Wheat. 



The soil for this grain, fall planting, ranges from a 

 clay loam to a moderate sandy loam. For spring wheat, 

 moist peaty soils are used. Wheat is usually grown in 

 rotation, in which case it nearly always follows corn, or 

 a clean culture crop. The nature of cultivation is too 

 well known to require mention here. Both spring and 

 winter wheat are commonly fertilized crops, particularly 



