XI.] BEANS AND CLOVER 325 



plant in the spring, and doubtless the soda had a share 

 in this result, but clover so forced has a bad effect upon 

 stock. In practice clover is rarely manured ; it is nearly 

 always sown in the barley crop, and is then left to the 

 mineral residues from the preceding root crop and the 

 nitrogen it can gain from the atmosphere ; at the most, 

 a little farmyard manure may be spread during the 

 winter and is valuable as affording shelter to the young 

 plants. If plenty of phosphates have been used for the 

 Swede and barley crops, nothing more in this direction 

 is likely to be required, but on many soils, especially of 

 the lighter kind, an application of potash during the 

 late autumn or winter after the clover has been sown 

 will have a marked effect upon the yield of clover, and 

 the cost of about 4 cwts, of kainit per acre will be amply 

 repaid. 



It is rarely wise to attempt to manure standing clover 

 for a second year's crop ; nitrogenous fertilisers are not 

 required, and the potash and phosphates hardly have 

 time to get well down to the plants' roots in the time 

 the crop still occupies the ground. A thin coating of 

 dung in the winter is valuable for its shelter, and if the 

 crop must be forced along, then in the winter 3 cwts. of 

 basic slag and 3 cwts. of kainit may be sown broadcast ; 

 even if they do not produce much immediate return 

 they will not be washed away. 



Lucerne and Sainfoin. — The principles which have 

 been laid down for the treatment of clover apply equally 

 to lucerne and sainfoin {i.e., that mineral manures should 

 be used, and that only the young plant will respond to 

 fertilisers), but since these crops are generally sown to 

 stand five years or more, it is wise to make a good 

 preparation of the soil before sowing. As a rule, they 

 are sown in barley or oats and about 5 cwts. per acre of 

 basic slag should be worked into the soil before sowing 



