130 AGRICULTURE 



been improved for the growth of this par- 

 ticular plant. But throughout the body of 

 the field there may be little evidence of the 

 presence of White Clover, and under these 

 circumstances the use of a phosphatic manure 

 would probably produce little effect. If, 

 however, the land is well-consolidated 

 and this is the state of things in clay and 

 clay loam White Clover appears to find 

 conditions thoroughly congenial to its growth, 

 provided it can secure the necessary amount 

 of phosphatic nourishment. We may walk 

 across an unimproved field of this character 

 and with difficulty find any considerable 

 number of plants of White Clover. Some 

 would say that none are present ; but careful 

 observation will, as a rule, detect the presence 

 of more plants than are at first obvious, but 

 the plants are so small and starved that they 

 frequently consist of no more than two or 

 three leaves, and only rarely are they suffi- 

 ciently strong to produce a flower. When, 

 however, basic slag or superphosphate is 

 applied to such land the results are often 

 little short of marvellous. In the first year 

 after the application of the fertilizer no great 

 change may be visible, although in respect 

 of this much depends upon the season. If 

 the weather is very dry, the first year may 



