The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-08-20
CLOVER AS A FERTILIZER.
Red and White Clovers as Disintegrator
of the Soil.

of the Soil.
Probably no merely theoretical sOlu-
ton of this question that could be
offered would be accepted as satisfactory
or conclusive; but have a case in view
where a practical demonstration of it
has been made, and to the word FER
tilizer" l attach here the widest signiti-
cation. meaning by it any substance or
plant which will enhance the yield by
anv process, whether chemical, vital or
mechanical.
On contiguous farms in the Muskin-
gum Valley, Southern Ohio, there are
two fields, one of twenty acres, one OF
ten. separated only by fence. They
both lie on the second plateau or bench,
have been cleared and in cultivation the
same length of time (about seventy
vears), and have been subjected to the
same rotation of corn and wheat-the
ten-acre field without interruption, the
twenty-acre field with a rest of year
or two about every fourth year. The
reader will please bear this fact in
mind, since it shows that the larger
field has had the advantage in one re-
spect, and it should have full force at
tached to it in connection with the re-
suits about to be recorded.
The greatest and most important diff
ference between the systems of cultiva-
ton pursued in these two fields is, that
the small field has been kept seeded in
red clover, while the large one has been
rate, this has been the case for the last
twenty-five or thirty years. The little
field is part of a small farm, while the
large one is part of large farm; and,
though the successive owners of the
small farm have been on the whole bet
ter farmers than the owners of the 9TH
er, vet the latter have maintained a
system of tillage which was better than
the average of Ohio. and which might.
perhaps. be said to have been inferior
to that followed on the little farm, only
in that it neglected the seeding of the
ground with red clover, allowing the
white to take its place.
The proprietor of this small farm has,
as say. cropped with wheat and corn
alternately. Every spring when there is
wheat on the field, in February or March,
he sows about two quarts of seed per acre;
and this small amount suffices to keep
the ground occupied. White clover
never makes its appearance. nor any
other vegetation, in fact. except some
rag weed after harvest. so thoroughly
has tne red clover taken possession.
But in the field just over the fence,
white clover is equally firmly estab-
lished. 1t comes Up after harvest so
thick as to hold the ragweed in check
fully as well as the red clover in the
neighboring field, if not better.
Now. it will hardly be denied by the
experienced farmer that red clover acts
as a better mechanical divisor of the
soil than white clover. 1t has coarser
and more abundant roots and stems. 1t
lays, as if were, a great number OF
minute tile-drains through the soil In
the red clover field, with an equal
amount of tillage. the soil will always
be finer, less lumpy than that in the
white clover field. Therefore. whether
it has a greater or less percentage of
nitrogen (Which have not the tables
BY me at this moment to determine). it
serves as a better inductor of that ele-
ment from the rain and the atmosphere
into the SOIL Stephen Posoers, IN Co|6-
try Gentleman.