Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1888-01-20
Uses and Value of Clover.


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
fvetO ten per cent. of the nitrogen, and
the other ninety to ninety-6ve per cent
goes back to the field or dung heap, it
certa MY must be the best practice, as
rule, 10 feed red clover instead of plow-
ing it all under.
Owing to the great depth to which the
clover roots penetI ate the soil, frequently
six feet or more, they help to bring up
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 avail able for future plant growth.
Red clover is valuable to enrich the and,
and hen to enrich the owner. 1t is not
excelled ! y any forage crop as a whole
some summer pasture for swine. For
selling, a 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. J. Beal, in his useful
work on the Grasses of North America"
Rays that he knows of no more concise
End valuable summary of the uses and
value of clover than the one of the late
DR.. VOelcker:
l. A good crop of clover removes
from the soil more potash, phosphorlc
acid, lime and other mineral matters,
which enter into the composition of the
ooh Nf Il, Al
other c OPP grown in this country
>. There is fully three times as much
nitrogen in crop of clover as in the
average produce of the grain and straw
Of wheat per acre.
5. ~ notwithstanding the large
amount of heterogeneous matter of ash
const tuents of plants in the produce Of
az acre, clover is an excellent preparatory
crop for wheat.
q. During the growth of clover a
large amount of heterogeneous matter &C
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.
containing, when dry, from II to two
per cent. of n trogen.
3. The clio, er roots are stronger and
more numerou and more leaves fall on
the ground when clover is grown from
seed than when it is mown for hay; in
consequence more nit ogen is left after
clover seed than alter hay, which &C
counts for wheat yielding better crop
after clover than after hay.
2. The de. e!opment of roots being
checked when the produce, in green
condition, is fed off by sheep, in all
probability leaves still less nitrogeno IS
matter In the soil than when clover al
lowed to get ripper and is mown for hay;
thus, no doubt, accounting for the obser-
Fation made by pastoral men that, not
outstanding 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.
& 1.-The heterogeneous matter in the
clover remains, on their gradual de 'ay,
are finally transformed into nitrates,
thus affordng a continuous source of
food, on which cereal crops especially
delight to grow.
D. 81 here is strong presumptlve evil
oence that the nitrogen which exists in
the shape o. ammonia and nitric acid,
and de-cends with these combinations IN
the rain which fal on the ground, salts
hes, under ordinary circumstances the
requirements of the clover crop. This
crOn causes a large accumulation o.
n.R genous matters, which are gradually