NEW YORK, OCTOBER 15, 1898 
*1 PER YEAR. 
Vol. LVII. No. 2542. 
CRIMSON 9L0VER CAPTURES NITROGEN. shows the difference existing between the two soils.” 
“ Yes, that is true, and you will notice that the dif- 
WONDEHFUL RESULTS IN FRUIT OULTURE. ’ ’ J 
ference of 6% per cent in the water-holding capacity 
It Gives Me New Faith in Farming. of that clover soil, means nearly 47 tons more of water 
We have lately noticed a statement in some of the to the acre. This shows the result of the added 
agricultural papers that Mr. Geo. T. Powell, the well- humus, and it certainly corroborates the results ob- 
known fruit grower of Ghent, N. Y., had found that tained in carrying large crops of fruit through sea- 
the use of Crimson clover had added greatly to the sons of severe drought, without serious injury. There 
amount of nitrogen in his soil. We recently had an was that much more water in the upper six inches of 
opportunity of talking with Mr. Powell about this, soil, to sustain the crop. I will say that this moisture 
and his experience is so interesting 
and valuable that we wish to give 
our readers the benefit of it. 
The Use of Clover.—He says 
that, about three years ago, when 
The R. N.-Y. was first agitating the 
Crimson clover question, he con¬ 
ducted a series of farmers’institutes 
in Delaware, and bad a good chance 
to study the action of this clover. 
The result was that, in 1894, he 
sowed 50 acres of it in orchards, 
corn and potato fields. 
“ Well, have you kept this seeding 
up from year to year ? ” was asked. 
“For the past three years, we 
have covered 75 to 80 acres annually 
with the clover.” 
“ How do you know that the clover 
has actually improved your soil ? ” 
“We became interested in the 
most economical means of restoring 
lost humus and nitrogen in the soil. 
Prof. Geo. W. Cavanaugh, of Cornell 
University, secured samples of the 
soil where this clover culture had 
been followed, so that he might an¬ 
alyze them and know exactly what 
results had been obtained.” 
“ What did he want to find 
out ? ” 
“ He wanted to know how much 
humus and nitrogen had been added 
to the soil, also to what extent its 
water-holding capacity had been in¬ 
creased.” 
“ With what soil did he compare 
this clover soil ?” 
“ First, he took a sample from a 
pear orchard where clover had been 
sown for three years, from July 1 to 
10, and was always plowed under 
early the following Spring. This 
soil was taken to a depth of six 
inches. In order to make a fair 
comparison, a sample was also taken 
from an adjoining field only four 
rods distant. This soil was of about 
the same character as the clover 
soil. It is an orchard under cultiva¬ 
tion on an adjoining farm where no 
clover had been grown. I want to 
say here that the chemist was so 
much surprised at the results of the 
first analysis that he went over his 
work three times, and in each l HU PENDULOUS SILVER FIR. Fig. 318. See Ruralisms, 
case, obtained the same results.” 
What It Has Done.—“ Well, what did he find?” was, also, conserved by the frequent surface tillage.” 
“ Here is a statement, just as he reported : “ And there is quite a difference in the amount of 
Crimson Clover as a Green Manure—Analysis or Soils. other fertility, too, we notice.” 
Three crops of clover. No clover. “ Yes, the difference in nitrogen alone means 1,350 
Water.15.00 percent. 8.75 percent. 
Nitrogen.21 percent. .12 percent. pounds of that substance in the acre of clover soil. 
Phosphoric acid (available) .015 per cent. .008 per cent. You will understand that this amount purchased at 
Increase on Clover Soil. the low price of 15 cents per pound, would cost $202.50. 
Water.6.25 per cent=46.875 tons. The chemist thought that a small proportion of this 
Nitrogen.09 per cent=l,3o0 pounds. , , , . 
Phosphoric acid .007 per cent= 105 pounds.” nitrogen had been set free from the sou by tillage. 
“ The lower part of the table, as we understand it, You will, also, notice that the clover had added 105 
pounds of available phosphoric acid to the acre. The 
potash figures have just been completed, and they 
certainly show that the large amount of humic acid 
has had the effect of liberating the phosphoric acid and 
potash to a surprising extent.” 
“ What has been the effect on the trees ? ” 
“ For several years, we have had a hard fight in this 
orchard, with the Pear psylla, so that no application 
of stable manure or any other fertilizer was made 
six years prior to the first sowing of Chwnson clover, 
in 1894. Prof. I. P. RmBffe looked 
over these orchards a year ago, 
when the trees were heavily laden 
with fruit of high quality. I asked 
him whether there was danger with 
so much nitrogen. His answer was 
that, so long as the trees were carry¬ 
ing such heavy crops of fruit as 
they were doing annually, I need 
not be concerned about that ques¬ 
tion.” 
“ How are the trees doing this 
year ?” 
“They are making a strong growth 
this season in the absence of fruit, 
which was totally destroyed by long- 
continued and heavy rain storms, 
during the entire period of bloom. 
During this wet period, some scab 
developed on the foliage, and this 
has helped to keep the growth of 
wood in check.” 
“Have you tried this clover 
method on peach trees ? ” 
“ I have a small block of peaches 
which has received four heavy crops 
of clover, while the fifth crop is 
making a luxuriant growth under 
the trees. These peach trees are in 
the perfection of health, making a 
strong but healthy growth, and 
they have produced a full and excel¬ 
lent crop. This lot of trees was 
sprayed with whitewash during the 
Winter, enough of the buds coming 
through to make a good set of fruit 
so that thinning was not required.” 
A Friend of Clover.— “ You be¬ 
lieve in clover then ? ” 
“ I certainly do. I have never fol¬ 
lowed any line that has interested 
me so much as the Crimson clover. 
It gives me new faith in the possi¬ 
bilities of farming. There is cer¬ 
tainly much yet to be learned about 
it, and the amount of nitrogen that 
can be added to the soil very cheaply 
in this way. I have it on every foot 
of cultivated land, in orchards, vine¬ 
yards, currant field, corn, potatoes, 
oats, buckwheat and in the garden.” 
“ What is the secret of obtaining 
a sure and good seeding ? ” 
“ With me, it has been clean soil, 
thoroughly tilled, and the seed al¬ 
ways lightly covered.” 
“ I notice that you have not given 
up currant culture, as many have.” 
“ No indeed, I have not given it up. My fruit grows 
finer, and sales better, each year. I sow the clover 
after the picking season, July 10, usually, and plow 
under a fine stand next Spring. In corn, I get a good 
covering, and follow with potatoes. In former years, 
there have been shipped from our station over 100 car¬ 
loads of potatoes in a season ; during the past few 
years, potatoes have been imported from Michigan 
and used on farmers’ tables. However, I am again 
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