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the soil. Crimson clover leaves the land in good condition for a «rop 

 of cotton, corn or vegetables. It has been found an excellent sub- 

 stitute for nitrate of soda in growing sweet potatoes in Delaware. 



At the Delaware Experiment Station crimson clover yielded at the 

 rate of 13 tons 556 pounds of green material per acre (exclusive of 

 roots and stubble), containing 131 pounds of potash, 35 pounds of phos- 

 phoric acid, and 115 pounds of nitrogen. As a source of nitrogen for 

 fruits, field crops, and vegetables it has given highly satisfactory- 

 results, in some cases surpassing nitrate of soda. 



The following illustration of the result of using crimson clover for 

 green manuring is from a recent report of the Delaware Experiment 

 Station : 



Seed of crimson clover costing $1 per acre was sown in a corn field near Newark, 

 in 1891, immediately after the last cultivation of the crop. The clover passed out 

 of blossom during the first week of June, 1892. A test made at that time indi- 

 cated that the green crop then standing weighed 8 tons 600 pounds per acre. It 

 was ploughed under on the 5th instant ; Mastodon seed corn was planted on the 7th. 

 An adjoining plat upon which tomatoes had been grown in 1891, and upon which 

 no clover had been seeded for many years, was also planted with the same variety 

 of corn on the 7th instant. A portion of this corn on the tomato plat was top- 

 dressed with nitrate of soda, 100 pounds per acre, costing $1. The tomato plat 

 yielded 24 bushels of shelled corn per acre, the tomato plat with nitrate of soda 

 yielded 30 bushels, and the plat manured with crimson clover yielded 48 bushels. 



Eight tons 600 pounds of crimson clover from seed which cost $1 per acre added 

 24 bushels to the corn crop. One dollar invested in nitrate of soda and used as a 

 top dressing added 6 bushels to the corn crop. Hence in this case $1 invested in 

 clover seed returned four times as much as $1 invested in nitrate of soda. As to- 

 the relative amount of labour involved, the sowing of the seed and the broadcasting 

 of the nitrate possibly balance each other. Ploughing down a green crop is doubt- 

 less far more costly than ploughing bare ground. This drawback may reduce the 

 abovenamed apparent gain by approximately 25 per cent. 



Jai an Clover. 



Japan clover (Lespedeza striata) has been very successfully grown at 

 the North Carolina Experiment Station and is strongly recommended 

 as a renovator of worn soils. At the station it was grown on a very 

 poor stiff clay soil with a light dressing of phosphate. Other clovers, 

 lucern, ami serradella, did very poorly on this soil, but the Japan 

 clover presented a most luxuriant appearance throughout the season. 

 The seed is broadcasted at the rate of about 12 ponnds per acre and' 

 -covered with a smoothing harrow or roller. The seed costs from 12 to 

 20 cents a pound, and can be bought of most of the larger seed firms. 

 The seed should be sown in the spring after danger of frost is over, 

 as the plant is very tender. Japan clover seems to prefer a moist clay 

 soil, but does well on almost any soil except pure sand, and thrives 

 without fertiliser on exhausted soils. Drought checks its growth for a 

 time, but not seriously. 



The North Carolina Station says : 



The ability to grow on land too poor to produce even broom sedge, and to crowd 

 out all other plants ; its dying each winter and leaving its roots to fertilise the 

 soil ; and its possessing the nitrogen- fixing power peculiar to the pulse family of 

 plants, place Japan clover at the head of renovating plants adapted to the climate 

 of Southern States. It is unequaled as a restorer of worn fields, such as are gene- 

 rally turned out to grow up in pines. 



Lupines. 



The three species of lupines more commonly grown are the white, the 

 yellow, and the blue lupine. The plants are bushy, somewhat woody, 



