716 Trials of Wild White Clover. [dec, 



Plot 2 cost 29s. an acre. These plots have now produced hay 

 for three years with the following results (per acre) : — 



Weight of hay. 



Plot I. Plot 2. 



I9°7 • •• ••• 30^ cwt. 35 cwt. 



1908 ... iS| 2 8i „ 



1909 • ••• .. i5i „ 21S „ 



Average ... ... ... ,2I.£ ,, 28^ 



The aftermath has been grazed every year. White clover, 

 and practically all the clovers, disappeared from Plot 1 after 

 the first year, but now some natural clover plants are spread- 

 ing on this plot. Plot 2 has always had a thick and close 

 sward of white clover, and this continues to be so. It may 

 be noted that on this cold clay soil meadow fescue seed has 

 failed to produce plants. A striking result is that on Plot 1 

 the grasses have not been nearly so luxuriant as on Plot 2. 

 This was so even in the first year's hay crop, and is un- 

 doubtedly due to the collection of nitrogen from the atmos- 

 phere by means of the nodules on the clover roots, and to the 

 stimulating effects of the nitrogen on the grasses. 



A further four acres of similar poor clay soil in the same 

 field was sown down a year later with the seeds' mixture of 

 Plot 2, but with cultivated white clover omitted; the seeds 

 being again sown on young wheat, after summer fallow. 

 The resulting hay crops in 1908 and in 1909 have been ex- 

 cellent, and there is now a beautiful sward of white clover. 

 This land received 10 cwt. per acre of high quality basic 

 slag after the wheat crop was removed in 1907, and this has 

 had a remarkable effect in developing the clover plants. The 

 crops of hay (per acre) averaged 32 cwt. in 1908, and 37 cwt. 

 in 1909 — very satisfactory crops for this poor clay soil. 



The same seeds' mixture was sown, in 1908, with barley, 

 on about 5 acres of poor clay soil in Upper Brick field. 

 This was also dressed with slag when the barley crop was 

 removed, and the crop of excellent hay produced in 1909 

 averaged 2 tons per acre. 



In 1909 the rotation hay in East Tower Hill field was a 

 considerably lighter crop than this (35 cwt. per acre), though 

 up till February there were good clover plants on this field, 

 all produced from cultivated clover seeds, principally red 

 clover; by May, however, the clover plants had practically 



