KED CLOVKi; 141 



as regards surface drainage. The eoiistant \\(iiic» and im 

 workal^ility of Geescroft appears to Ite entirely due to the 

 unfloeculated character of the clay (hie to tlie ahsenee of elialk. 

 in other words, the cultivation of the other Kot hamstcd ridd-. 

 has been rendered possible by the iin[)roveni(Mit in the texture 

 of the soil effected l)y the large quantities of ehalk put on. 

 probably in the eighteenth century. Even at the present time 

 water will often stand on the surface of the Geescroft land, 

 and the predominant growth of Aif<f nrs/fitostf is additional 

 evidence of the persistent wetness of the soil, a wetness which 

 cannot be accounted for by the situation, the nature of the 

 sul)soil. nor the constitution of the surface soil, but only b\ its 

 bad condition incUiced by the absence of lime or chalk. 



II. — The Continuous Guowth of Red Clovek on oim)1nai;n 

 Arable Land, Hogs Field. 



In the Hoos field, experiments upon the growth of legunii 

 nous crops began in 1849 with red clover. The following table 

 shows the results for a period of twenty-nine years, dminu 

 which clover was sown fifteen times but only produced a ero]> 

 in seven of the years. Even with the many interniission>. 

 when the land grew wheat or barley or was left fallo\N, 

 oidy the first crop of all was a satisfactory one ; nor, as will 

 be seen., had either mineral or nitrogenous manures any effect 

 in keeping the land in a condition to grow clover success- 

 fully. 



In 1878, the land on which these attempts to grow re(l 

 clover had been continued since 1849 was divided into a 

 number of small plots, and sown with various leguminous 

 plants. Various systems of nianui'ing were tiie<l on each 

 series of plots, which carried the following leguminous 

 plants — lucerne, peas or beans alternately, IJokhara clover, 

 sainfoin, white chjver, red clover, and vetches; the same j»lot 

 being always re-seeded when necessary with the same legumi- 

 nous plant. The results are described in detail in the 



