The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1901-07-18
what Anects clover seed,nr,

From the Farmers Review: In the
mind of thoughtful, intelligent farm
ers very interesting problems are con-
tinually presenting themselves for So
luton. The amount of general knowl-
edge possessed by them is not usually
sufficient for their guidance in seek
ing nswer to the questions arising.
For this reason they are apt to as
cribe incorrect causes for effects which
they observe. An illustration of this
is found in the popular theory that the
season, more than the time of cutting
the first crop Of clover, affects the
yield of seed on the second crop. To
understand this problem we must draw
upon a knowledge of agricultural
chemistry and plant feeding and the
elaboration of elementary food in the
plant. Seeding is the effort of the
plant to reproduce itself when it has
reached a certain period of growth.
AS the elaboration of seed depends up
on the presence and action of phos-
pnor1c acid in the plant, the movement
OF phosphorus in it furnishes the key
to the solution of the problem.
Take the plant in four stages OF
growth. AS a young plant in full
health about 6 to s inches tall, from
20 per cent to rs per cent of the total
phosphoric acid necessary for full de-
velopment Of the matured crop has
been taken up from the. root, and about
90 per cent of this amount is found in
the upper leaves. After 1t has OBJ
tanned about one-third more growth,
over 40 per cent of the phosphoric
acid has been brought up, of which
from so per cent to 65 per cent Ia
found in the heads and stems and
leaves close up to the heads. When
h plant has grown still larger and
reached full bloom, 70 per cent to 70
per cent of the required phosphoric
acid hal been received from beneath
the ground, and 80 per cent of this has
found Its way into the head and BIOS
sons. Finally, when the seed has
been perfected, fully 80 per cent of the
total p~hosphoric acid taken by the
plant has passed from the structure to
the seed. If the crop is cut when 40
per cent and upwards of the phospho-
us needed for full development and re-
production has been taken up and
from 60 per cent to 80 per cent of this
reached the upper parts of the plants
1t will require a very rich feeding OF
phosphate to enable it to repair dam
age, and, besides building a new plant
provide nourishment for seed. Few
soils are equal to such a strain, but
as farmers like to get as much maturi-
ty as possible In the hay crop SO as to
provide a good article Of fodder, they
must be careful to look we'll to the
phosphate feeding of clover fields.
This will be more fully appreciated II
we bear in mind that two tons of clo-
cent more phosphorus than thirty
bushels of wheat, sixty-five bushels OF
corn or fifty bushels Of oats.
Any effect of the season on the seed
development Of the second crop must
generally be ascribed to the rapid
growth OF the first crop deceiving the
farmer into the belief that the large
growth had attained corresponding
maturity. In such cases a chemical ex-
animation of the hay Of the first crop
would show it to be lacking in feed
ing value in full proportion to its
bulk and weight.
While on this question 1t is inter-
estlng to observe that the researches
OF DR.. Wagner emphasize most de-
cidedly the necessity of the phosphate
and potash manures for clovers grown
for manurial purposes. Ordinarily
eighty pounds of nitrogen supplied to
the soil from an acre of two tons of
clover is good work, but it Is found
that over $50 pounds of nitrogen can
be obtained on an acre from the at
mosphere by supplying abundant phos-
phoric acid in addition to potash. On
heavy soils the potash has not gen.
orally to be supplied as manure, but
on said soil deficient in potash we are
called upon to supply it as well as the
-h HI T%