FOOD FOR PLANTS 101 



The most common plants of this class are: Alfalfa, 

 alsike clover, crimson clover, red clover, Japan clover, 

 cow peas, lupines, Canadian field peas, the vetches, 

 etc. All these forage crops should be sown after 

 clean culture crops. The best method of fertilizing is 

 to apply from 300 to 500 pounds of fertilizer early 

 every autumn ; in the spring broadcast 200 pounds of 

 Nitrate of Soda, and repeat with about 100 pounds 

 after each cutting. It is true that clovers may supply 

 their own nitrogenous plant food, but this is an ex- 

 periment experienced farmers do not often repeat. A 

 fair green crop of clover, for example, removes from 

 the soil some 160 pounds of Nitrogen, while in 500 

 pounds of Nitrate of Soda there are less than 100 

 pounds. Undoubtedly, the Nitrogen taken from the 

 air is a great aid, but we should not expect too much 

 of it. The method of seeding clovers depends much 

 upon locality and soil needs with reference to previ- 

 ous crops. Crimson clover and Canadian field peas 

 are usually sown in August, after earlier crops have 

 been removed, or even in corn fields. Red clover is 

 commonly sown in the spring on wheat or with oats. 



WHEAT. 



The soil for this grain, fall planting, ranges from a 

 clay loam to a moderate sandy loam. For spring 

 wheat, moist peaty soils are used. Wheat is usually 

 grown in rotation, in which case it nearly always 

 follows corn, or a clean culture crop. The nature of 

 cultivation is too well known to require mention here. 



