The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-02-01
Uses and Value of Glover.

All agricultural plants draw most of
their food directly or indirectly from the
atmosphere, and of those used none are
exceeded by clover in the large pro-
portion of nutriment thus derived. If
the stubble and roots contain more than
half of the manurial value Of red clover,
and if live stock only appropriate from
tveto ten per cent. of the nitrogen, and
the other ninety to ninety-6ve per cent.
goes back to the field or dung heap. it
certainly must be the best practice, as a
rule, to feed red clover instead of plow-
ing it all under.
Owing to the great depth to which the
clover roots penetrate the soil, frequently
six feet or more, they helpto bring up a
rundown farm. They bring the
valuable ingredients from great depth,
and store large part of them in the
large roots near the surface, where they
are available for future plant growth.
Red clover is valuable to enrich the land
and hence to enrich the owner. 1t is not
excelled by any forage crop as a whole
some summer pasture for swine For
soiling, good growth of red clover is
very valuable, and it has often been
packed into the silo to feed ensilage in
the winter.
Professor w. ]. Beal, in his useful
work on the "Grasses of North America. -
says that he knows of no more concise
and valuable summary of the uses and
value of clover than the one of the late
DR.. Voelcker:
l. ga good crop of clover removes
from the soil more potash, phosphoric
acid, lime and other mineral matters,
which enter into the composition of the
ashes of our cultivated crops, than any
other crop grown in this country.
,. There is fully three times as much
nitrogen in a crop of clover as in the
average produce of the grain and straw
of wheat per acre.
3. Notwithstanding the large
amount of nitrogenous matter of ash
constituents of plants in the produce of
an acre, clover is an excellent preparatory
crop for wheat.
4. During the growth of clover a
large amount of nitrogenous matter ac-
cumulates in the soil
>. This accumulation, which is
greatest in the surface soil, is due to de-
caying leaves dropped during the growth
OF clover, and to an abundance of roots,
NhCn lIOul ii 10 TWO
per cent. of nitrogen.
o. The clover roots are stronger and
more numerous, and more leaves fall on
the ground when clover is grown from
seed than when it is mown for hay; in
consequence more nitrogen is left after
clover seed than after hay, which ac-
counts for wheat yielding a better crop
after clover than after hay.
z. The development of roots being
checked when the produce, in a green
condition, is fed off by sheep, in all
probability leaves still less nitrogenous
matter in the soil than when clover is al
lowed to get ripper and is mown for hay !;
thus, no doubt, accounting for the obser-
walton made by pastoral men that, not.
withstanding the return of the produce
IN the sheep eXcrements, wheat is gen
orally stronger and yields better after
clover mown for hay than when the
clover is fed off green by sheep.
3. "The nitrogenous matter in the
clover remains, on their gradual decay,
are finally transformed into nitrates,
thus atfordng a continuous source of
food, on which cereal crops especially
delight to grow.
8. There is strong presumptive evil
dence that the nitrogen which exists in
the shape OF ammonia and nitric acid,
and descends with these combinations in
the rain which falls on the ground, salts
ties, under ordinary circumstances, the
requirements of the clover crop. This
crop causes a large accumulation of
Aitrogenous matters, which are gradually
changed in the soil into nitrates. The
atmosphere thus furnishes nitrogenous
food TO the succeeding wheat indirectly,
and, so TO say, gratis.
10. "Clover not only provides album
dance of nitrogenous food, but delivers
this food in a really available power las
nitrates) more gradually and continually,
and with more certainty of a good re.
suit, than such food can be applied to
the land in the shape of nitrogenous
spring top-dressing ~ Cuitirator.