No. 4.] GRASS AND CLOVER. 153 



And another point, before I sit down, in reference to the 

 application of fertilizers or plant food for grass crops. I was 

 brought up on a light soil, and we found we could top-dress 

 that in early spring and get good results. When I took this 

 Barre soil, which is a heavy soil, I used to top-dress with 

 chemicals in the early spring, and I got a fine growth of 

 grass, w^hat the farmers sometimes call "fuz;" but when I 

 top-dressed later, the last of May, I would get a stronger 

 growth of grass. So on the Barre farm I adopted the method 

 of top-dressing late, and Mr. Ellis has followed it since. 



Professor Hurd. In answer to the first question, Mr. 

 Bowker knows I am not engaged at all in experiment station 

 work, but I do not doubt that figures can be found to answer 

 your question. I haven't any at the present time, but I am 

 very sure such figures could be found. 



Now, with heavy clay land, up at the University of Maine, 

 we top-dress with these chemicals in the spring just as the 

 grass is beginning to green up a little bit ; and we have most 

 excellent results in getting good, heavy, tall grass, and not 

 this " fuz " grass, as you call it. 



Professor Brooks. In answer to the question of Mr. 

 Bowker, I will say that this question as to manurial value 

 was one raised quite early in experimental history, and in 

 the early reports of the experiment stations you will find 

 this matter was dealt with quite extensively. While I won't 

 attempt to reproduce the figures, there is one point which 

 should be brought out here, and that is this, that whatsoever 

 the corn residue leaves behind came out of the soil to begin 

 with ; but in the case of the clover — an important distinc- 

 tion — l)y far the greater part of the value left behind in the 

 stubble and roots came from the air under like conditions. 

 The roots of the corn get all the nitrogen from the soil to 

 begin with ; the corn has no al)ility to take it from the air. 

 It is a thing that has Ijeen very carefully studied, and no one 

 has been able to show anything to the contrary. I am will- 

 ing to admit this much, that undoubtedly there are great 

 fields of knowledge which we have not yet explored, and I 

 do not say that it may not some time be found that some 

 other crops than those which we know now draw nitrogen 

 from the air ; but I am perfectly sure that up to tlu; present 



