Smyrna times., 1878-05-15
.ag2'icWlIxT0I.
The Study of Glover and Wheat Soils,

|
In an elaborate and exhaustive paper
published in the journal of the Royal
Agricultural Society, DR.. Voelcker, says:
The soils for the next experiments were
kindly supplied to me in 1866, by Mr..
Robert Valentine, of Burcott Lodge, who
also sent me some notes respecting the |
growth and yield of clover, hay and seed,
on this soil. In his notes Mr.. Valentine |
said Foreign clover seed at the rate of |
twelve pounds per acre, was sown with a
crop of wheat which yielded fire quarters |
(forty bushels) per acre the previous year."
1--WE adopt the abridgement of the state
ment as made by our friend, DIR. Lee.)
The clover harvested at two cuttings "pro-
duced Just about four tons of clover-hay
per acre"
Nature often does things with a liberal
hand. When she makes a soil good for
forty bushels of wheat per acre, and other
crops in proportion, how much available
nitrogen and phosphoric acid does it con-
tain within six inches, twelve inches, and
eighteen inches, of the surface of the
ground?
1t was found by several experiments that
it is better for the soil and for the growth
of wheat to cut an early crop Of hay from
clover, and let the second crop stand for
seed, than to take two crops of clover hay,
as is often done. Indeed to feed the second
0f - oh 4Io,,,
droppings on the land, is not so beneficial
to the soil as is one crop of hay and another
of seed equal to 1856 pounds per acre. 1t is
true these seeds remove a good deal of
nitrogen and phosporic acid from the soil !;
but the grain by the growth of clover roots
and the falling Of clover leaves before the
seed is harvested, and after the first cut
ting of hay in June. much more than COM
pensates for the elements taken up in clover
seeds.
A square foot of soil, eighteen inches
deep, was dug from the second portion of
the land which produced the clover hay
and clover seed. The first six inches,
dried at 2l2 deg. Fahr., gave per centage
of phosphorc acid .249; second six inches,
.134; third six inches, .172. These figures
show that the first six inches of soil contain
fifty per cent. more of this valuable acid
than the second six inches; and that the
second. Expressed in pounds, per acre,
the first six inches have 1850 pounds; the
second six inches, 1926 pounds; and the
third six inches, 1915 pounds. Add the
above figures together and it is seen that
an acre of this wheat and clover soil has
eleven thousand two hundred and fifty
pounds of phosphoric acid within eighteen
inches of the surface of the ground, and
within the reach of clover roots. At five
cents pound, this acid, which forms 5(
per cent. of the ashes of wheat, is worth
1862 per acre.
Of nitrogen, the first six inches of the
above soil had 1850 pounds; the SECOND
six inches, 1875 pounds; the third si1
inches, 1929 pounds. Estimated as am
monia, the first six inches contain 4,05C
pounds; the second six inches, 2,27i
pounds third six inches, 1000 pounds
These figures give to an acre of land 1872
pounds of ammonia within Is inches of tn
surface. In New England, Maryland ant
Georgia ammonia is worth from 20 to g
cents a pound as a fertilizer Take tn
lowest figures and the ammonia in an acr
of this wheat land is worth one thousan,
five hundred and eighty-fye dollars. Lam
that is good for 40 bushels of wheat pc
acre has over two thousand dollars wort
of two costly elements of wheat near tn
surface of the ground. An acre of goo
twoyear old clover will give the soil abor
fifty pounds of ammonia, or its equivalen
Assuming the soil to have 5000 pounC
of this volatile alkali, and to gain fift
pounds every two years from clover, it wi
take one hundred crops and two hundre
years to gain the ammonia in the poore
sample of Mr.. Valentines wheat sol
The analyses of two specimens of this Ian
show that one hundred tones of lime exi
within foot of the surface. 1t will liar
no farmer to learn that nature forms OF
of the best and most enduring soils Gull
waited by his species. One crop of Glow
roots supplyammnria enough, or its equiv
lent, 10 H.. crops Of wheat. To c
down clover by stock is to cut short Il
development of a full crop of roots.
raising seed, this blight on clover roc
does not take place. Clover roots shou
be more studied.