Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-07-30
Agricultural.



4 correspondent Of the Coanfry Gcntie
man writes In May, 1869, DR.. Noclckcr
in lecture before the Royal Agricultural
Society Of Euglaud, said 81" have frc
qucuily been struck with the remarkably
luxuriant appearance Of wheat after a heavy
crop Of clover has been removed from The
land. at frst doubted it: but at last
was Obliged to confess that it invariably
follows when you get a good crop Of clover
that you also get a good crop Of wheat
An enormous amount Of nitrogenous organic
matter is left in the land after the romova
Of the clover crop, and this gradually de-
Gays, and furnishes ammonia" Also that
/ have come TO the conclusion that the
very best preparation, the very best OF
manure, Is q good crop OF clover. Now, at
frst, nothing seems more contradictory than
to say that you can remove q very large
quantity Of both mineral and organic plant
food from the soil, and yet make it more
productive, as in the case Of clover. New
orthelcss. it is q fact that, the larger the
amount Of mineral matter you remove in a
crop Of clover and the larger the amount
of nitrogen which Is carried of in clover
hay, the richer The land becomes" This is
chemical anomaly which Dr. Noclckel
had been investigating ten years, aud only
during the previous season had he beer
able 20 explain 10 Then be found that II
chemical point Of view clover is the
most oxhansiing crop you can grow, while
in a practical point Of view. it is the most
restorative crop, aud the best preparation
for wheat You can possibly grow" Tho
amount Of nitrogen and Of mineral matter
secured by one years growth Of clover il
several times os much as is needed for 9
crop Of wheat A vast amount Of minora
matter IS brought within the reach Of tn,
wheat crop while growing clover BY
means y lbs long roots, clover penetrates {
large mass OF soil it gathers up the phos
phorio acid aud the potash, which are
reached by its long, deep roots, aud wheI
the land is plowed the roots are left in thu
surface soil, and decaying, they furnish th'
mineral substances most needed by thu
wheat plant. Without the help Of cloyer root
a large portion Of these substances must re
main 10 ockcd.up condition, in which they
arc not available for the growing wheat
The accumulation Of nitrogen in the sol
by growing clover is also very large. "Th'
clover plants take the nitrogen from thu
atmosphere, and manufacture it into thei
own substance, which, on decomposition o
the clover roots ard leaves, produces abun
dance Of ammonia" ln reality, the grow
ing Of clover is equivalent, to great ex
tent, to mauuring with Peruvian guano
and there is larger amount Of nitrogen
accumulated in the surface soil than in tn,
heaviest application Of guauo any iarme
would think of making. DR.. Voelcker also
shows, as the result Of frequent and thor
ough examinations, that when clover is pas
tured there is much less plant food accumu
lated into the surface soil than when i il
cut for hay, aud that there is less wher
clover is cut twice for hay than when Gu
once and allowed to 90 to seed. The rea
son for the first is that there is much les
growth, especially Of roots, where Glove
is pasturcd as TO the second, it is sale
that large amount Of clover leaves droI
and enrich the soil when clover goes to seed
Now, Messrs. Johnston and Gcddes hav,
been two of1he best practical farmers il
the country aud DR.. Noelccker, though
one Of the hest agricultural chemists Of tn,
day, has, al least in great part, been brough
to his present views, as against his previous
scientific opinions, by the very beneficial
effects secured by farmers in growing clio
yer. Hence, we find science and practica
experience agreeing in regard to the re
markable fertilizing effects and results Sc
cured by raising clover. And it must now
be apparent to every intelligent reader tina
the three most important constituents o
crops, towit, nitrogen, potash and the phos
pilates, can be obtained much easier ant
cheaper by growing clover than in any 9th
er way Hence it is claimed that, at leas
on grain farms, whore a rotation of crop
and frequent seeding to clover can he prac
ticed, there is no need of the very heavy
and expensive manuring which was former
ly recommended.
Still, it may not be best to go to tn,
other extreme, and depend altogether OIL
clover the best course is to make all tn
barnyard manure that can be secured, b,
feeding all suitable crops on the farm, an,
then grow clover enough, with the help o
this manure, to make the land rich.