37 



situated upon the Red Marl and Gypsum, between the two 

 beds of Magnesian Limestone, one portion was oats and very 

 inferior white clover ; the other portion was barley and very 

 good white clover. The soil of the good clover, which was 

 firm and dry, gave 6 J lbs. per foot (of 17 X 17 x 6) or about 

 120 tons in weight per acre above the inferior portion. One 

 half of the inferior portion was manured with gypsum thrown 

 from a deep drain, but the frost equally destroyed the clover 

 upon it. 



In several trials of the soils of fields, where circular 

 patches only of the clover had disappeared during the winter 

 months, the result was invariably the same, viz., a lighter 

 weight of the soil, and that averaging from 6 lbs. to 9 lbs. per 

 solid foot of six inches deep and 1 7 inches square. 



In another field belonging to Mr. Stones, of Kirk Smea- 

 ton, which was examined without knowing under what cir- 

 cumstances the clover had failed, two trials gave only a difi*er- 

 ence per solid foot of ^ lb., between the portion which had 

 good red clover upon it and that which had no clover. In 

 this case, however, the farmer assured me that there was no 

 clover after harvest to be seen, and that it had been destroyed 

 by the barley crop being excessively luxuriant, and which was 

 « lodged." 



The theory here ofi'ered of the failure or destruction of 

 clover after harvest, viz., that it is always killed by the frost, 

 and this in proportion to the want of a certain degree of 

 cohesiveness of the particles of the soil, will alone explain all 

 the contradictory opinions that have been ofi'ered respecting 

 the causes of its failure. 



1. It explains why some lands, as those situated upon the 

 Chalk, Oolite and Magnesian Limestone, mentioned in the 

 Report of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, after being 

 tired*' are by rest able to re-produce this crop ; — because the 

 more frequently the clovers or tares, or any large tough rooted 



