PEA STRAW AND CLOVER. 87 



The greatest proportional difference in the 

 combustible part of wheat and its straw is in 

 the relative amount of nitrogen. The reader 

 \vill notice that there is in equal weights nearly 

 seven times as much nitrogen in the grain as in 

 the straw. If the farmer had to rely on decaying 

 straw to furnish the necessary amount of nitrogen, 

 it would require 700 Ibs. of straw to furnish 

 enough for 100 Ibs, of the grain of wheat, 

 and a crop of 25 bushels to the acre, or 1500 

 Ibs. of wheat, would require over five tons of 

 straw to furnish the nitrogen required. On the 

 other hand, one half of this amount will furnish 

 the phosphoric acid and the other elements re- 

 quired for the grain. But, if the farmer manured 

 with pea straw, or clover, the case would be 

 different, as the following analyses of clover and 

 pea straw will show : 



Pea Straw. ' Clover Hay. 



Carbon 45-80 47-40 



Hydrogen 5'00 5-00 



Oxygen 35-57 38-60 



Nitrogen 2-31 1-30 



Ash. 11-32 7-70 



100-00 100-00 



Pea straw contains as much nitrogen, weight 

 for weight, as wheat ; and when cut in proper 

 time and cured properly, it makes the best of 

 fodder and the best of manure. Clover is very 

 nearly as valuable for both purposes. 



