Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1895-08-28
N1irqinla 9ne gress
August 2S. 1895.
Glover as a Fertilizer.


In recent issue showed that the
roots and stubbe of clover are rich in the
element Of fertility. Let us consider fur
ther the advantages and dangers of using
clover as fertilizer and see if we can an
swer the question-Is there danger of
using clover too much for this purpose
There are two chief aims in view when
We use manures The first is to supply
needed plant food, the second is to i'm
prove the mechanical condition of the soil
With these two aims met we have the
conditions of soil that with a normal sea
son and proper cultivation we may rea-
sonaby expect paying crop.
The fact that the clover crop will put
a soil in good mechanical condition adds
greatly to its value since it does in this
what is done for the soil when it is treat
ed to heavy dressing Of barn yard ma.
nure, which represents much laoor. The
clover sod not only does all that barn
yard manure can DO in this line, but the
roots penetrate deeper than the pillow
and make the subsoil more porous and
adds to it elements of fertility by the de-
posit of vegetable matter.
As the great bulk of woody fibre in
root, stem and leaf is derived from the at.
mosphere we have by the clover crop
helped not only the surface soil but the
subsoil by the growth of the clover crop.
Its roots penetrate more deeply than do
those of grains and grasses, and by so
much as they bring up nitrogen, potash
aud phosphoric acids from below and store
them within easy feeding range of the
cereal and tuber crops by so much Is the
soil better prepared to feed promptly aud
fully these crops. 1t is of little value to
the farmer that his subsol is rich in these
three essentials ii they are below The feed
ing liue of his crops or if they are in q
form not available.
While clover roots and stubble are ex-
ceplionally rich in nitrogen and contain
enough of it and potash and phosphoric
acid Tor all the succeeding crops of a three
or four year rotation, the fact that it has
the power 10 obtain nitrogen from the soil
and atmosphere as wheat cannot is strong
argument in favor of its use.
1t is true that in the early history of
agricultural chemistry Bousingalt, Lawes
and Gilbert and their followers claimed
that clover and other legumes had no
power to appropriate free nitrogen from
the atmosphere, but later investigators
have followed Helreigel. who has shown
that legumes have tubercles on their roots
which have the power 10 appropriate
largely from the vast store OF nitrogen in
the atmosphere Liebig in his early work
claimed that the chemical analysis of the
soil was the key TO unlock the question OF
fertility of any soil, but later he and all
reliable chemists of this day find that
analysis is only help and that the mere
addition of elements shown was wanting
does not produce fertile soil. The ele-
ments may be present but not available.
cite this to show that the early discov-
cries OF even the highest authorities in the
field Of scientific investigation very often
need modification and correction to meet
the facts later ascertained.
The fact that plants whose roots are
provided with tubercles and certain form
of micro organism are exceptionally rich
in nitrogen above those without this root
: popularity is presumption that the office
of these tuLerces is to appropriate that
which plants whose roots Lot SO fashioned
.. cannot approl late. There are many now
at work testing the theory of Helriegel
aud every year the testimony grows
stronger that clover gathers much Of it:
nitrogen from the atmosphere.
1t seems reasonable, in view Of the ne
cessity of more nitrogen than our farm;
aud factories have been able to supply
that there is some means il the vegetable
kingdom of appropriating it from the
bundles resources of the atmosphere
! Children Cry for