The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1882-09-07
Agricultural.



The following article. which We take
from the S,s Esga4sd Fgrsaer, ~as
written Cor the benea, Of the farmers oil
Maine. bot is equally applicable 10 oil The
Eastern s,Aios;
Nearly every farmer in Maine raisss
more or less clover. IL is common prAe'
,iee in seeding dowu land 10 grass TO sou
clover seed slong with herisgrass. redsop
or orchard grass One or two or more
acres are usually seeded In this way TO clio.
yer each year on most OF the farms. After
the grain il removed the clover, during
the first and second years aiterward, proves
to be the principal crop. erowding out APP
parently the other crop. Tho third year,
however 6nds very little Of the clover left
and the other grass takes possession oil lhe
ground. The large mass OF clover roots
left in the ground decay and furnish aonn'
dAnt iertilizing material for the grass crop
and heavy yield is generally obtained Tor
two or three years. After that the grass
begins TO run out, as tits termed. and
the field soon needs ploving, tertiiizihs
rsseeding. This is the common practice
in regard TO the growing Of clover In Maine
Very little effort has been made to grow
clover for the improvement OF the soil.
To be sure, so far as clover is grown, the
soil derives corresponding benefit. The
benefit produced by the growing oil clover
is allowed to he all used by the subsequent
grass crop before another clover crop rs
grown, SO that the land is nearly or quite
as poor when plowed as II was before.
ADVANTAGES or GLOVER GROWING.
Farmers in Maine are not living up to
their privileges as regards the benefits 10
be derived from clover growing. There
are thousands Of acres Of land in nearly
every town which need renovating. Thons'
suds OF dollars are yearly paid out by the
faymers for commercial fertilizers aud all
. the stable manure available is eagerly pur.
chased. Still the need of more fertilizers
Ia plainly 10 be seen on every hand, and II
is generally admitted that more manures
are needed than can be obtained. Such
being the situation, it would be thought
|. that farmers would be eager to avail them.
\ selves of every means which could be made
to assist them in renovating the soil. From
, time TO time their attention has been call
ed TO the advantages to be derived from
more systematic practice Of growing cloy
err. vet few have even tried the effect O
: growing clover especially for fertilizlnt
purposes. A common idea seems to b.
IT that in growing clover to renovate the lane
il is necessary TO turn the crop OF Glove
under. Such practice has scarcei.
seemed to thrifty farmers to be IN econom
ical way Of disposing OF a good crop 9
clover which seemed to be needed Tor nay
- II is not necessary, however, to turn ui
. der the clover crop in order to obtain ben
eft from clover as Q renovating crop.
course, il the clover is turned under, NOR
r improvement in the soil will be efiecte
than il it is cut for hay. The roots left J
the ground after clover has been cut it
hay contain as much fertilizing materi
"a q GOOD dressing Of barnyard manur
Consequently, by SO managing that clio .,
or sod can be turned under frequently, VI
\ land can be greatly improved IN fertilit
| This a means Of renovating land which
ery farmer can afford to use.
FERTIIAzlSa VALUE OF THE SOD.
4 The great fertilizing value contained
\ q good clover sod does not seem to be o
/ preciated or believed by farmers generi
/ iy. According to experiments and AM
| yses made in Germany to determine y
/ number OF pounds Of root and stubbie co
/ tanned in an acre Of clover sod to the dep
i OF ten inces it is shown that there we
i 8. 92l pounds which contained l9l poun
i of nitrogen, besides considerable pota
i and phosphoric acid. The l9l pounds
nitrogen at 20 cents o pound wouid
i worth $500. Undoubtedly the acre
sod which contained roots enough 70
/ ford such o large amount OF nitrogen ',
produced on land in high state OF cul
vation; but suppose that an acre OF
\ contained only one-half as much nitrog'
or 95 pounds, worth $40. How could
farmer supply an equal amount OF ier.l'
ers to his soil 80 cheaply and so easily as
clover raising?