(52) 



fact established that the clover plant, hy increasing the 

 amount of available nitrogen in the surface soil, is the very- 

 best forerunner for wheat, unlocking, as it were, the ele- 

 ments in the soil necessary to a full and perfect development 

 of the wheat crop. 



Prof. Way has established the fact that the carbonate of 

 ammonia of rain-water and of manures are so absorbed and 

 so firmly fixed by the soil that no free ammonia can be pres- 

 ent in it. Neither pure nor carbonic acid water can extract 

 this fixed ammonia from the soil. It must be extracted by 

 the roots of plants. A plant, therefore, with extensive root 

 ramifications, such as clover, will extract a much larger 

 quantity than those plants with feebler roots. The clover 

 roots bring this ammonia or nitrogen to the surface, and on 

 their decay these nitrogenous matters are converted into ni- 

 trates in which the wheat plant finds a most congenial'food. 

 In addition to this, the leaves formed by clover contain a 

 large amount of nitrogenous matter, and these are dropped 

 upon Ihe surface^ increasing the amount of nitrogen availa- 

 ble for wheat or other crops. 



ALSIKE CLOVER (Trifolium hybridum.) 



This species of clover was introduced into England from 

 Sweden, hence it is sometimes called Swedish clover. It 

 gets the name Alsike from the parish of Alsike, in the prov- 

 ince of Upland. It is a perrennial found wild throughout 

 many parts of Sweden, Norway and Finland. 



Alsike clover, as compared with common red clover, has 

 a slf nderer stalk, narrower leaf, and paler colored flowers 

 and foliage. The flower stalks are longer, and the blossoms 

 more fragrant and sweeter to the taste. When first open, 

 the blooms are but faintly tinged with pink, subsequently 

 they deepen into a pale red, and stand up. When tine pe- 



