210 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



next crop cannot be less than quadruple that sum, to say noth- 

 ing of the feed it may afford or its mechanical amelioration of 

 the soil. My practice has been — and I thinly many other farm- 

 ers adopt the same — to mow the clover only one year for 

 cattle-food, and then to turn it under as food for the crops, 

 especially where wheat is to be sown, thus insuring a return to 

 the soil of a mass of rich vegetable matter. Clover is a bien- 

 nial plant, and of course cannot be depended upon after the 

 second year for hay. 



The clover not only imparts fertility when ploughed under, 

 but its roots divide and break the soil while growing, and ren- 

 der it pulverous as they decay. The thicker the plants, the 

 finer and better the herbage ; the more abundant the roots, the 

 greater the benefit to the soil, both as regards pulverization and 

 fertility. 



In ploughing-in clover or any other green crop whatever, the 

 soil is prepared to produce well without any other manures, since 

 by this process all the soil has produced is returned to it : with 

 the additions resulting from the decomposed principles of air and 

 water which are contained in the plants. I would here say that 

 I think the advantage in ploughing-in a green crop as soon as it 

 is fit for cutting for hay, over the same crop after it has formed 

 its seed and become dry and hard, is very great. In order to 

 understand fully my meaning and the belief I have expressed, 

 that greater results follow the ploughing-in of a well-grown crop 

 at maturity, than the same crop after it has formed its seed ; it 

 is necessary to consider the successive changes which take place 

 in plants during this growth ; first they produce green leaves, 

 which by coming in contact with the air receive from it the 

 principles of which I have spoken, or in other words carbon, 

 oxygen and hydrogen ; afterwards the stalks increase in size and 

 number, and are covered with numerous leaves which absorb 

 from the atmosphere a degree of nourislmient suited to the in- 

 creasing wants of the plants, the strength and fulness of the 

 leaves and stalks depending very much upon the richness of the 

 soil. 



This state continues till after the period of flowering, when a 

 change takes place, the roots dry up, the stalks wither and 

 change their color, and when the seeds are formed fully both 



