Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1902-12-12
FREE NITROGEN ON FARMS.

valuable that is within the power Of the
farmer to grow, and it also enriches him
even when the clover is sold of the
farm, because there remains in the roots
left ia the soil large proportion Of
nitrogen which was gained from the at
mosphere. So great is the gain to the
farm when the entire crop is fed and
returned to the land that but few farm
ers realize the large increase in that di.
rection An experimenter, who took
clover roots from the soil to the depth
of four feet and also from plots to the
depth of two feet, of both the common
red and mammoth varieties, OF one
years growth found nearly as much
nitrogen at the depth OF two feet as
when the roots we're taken from four
feet. thus demonstrating that the roots
Of clover, while going down deep into
the soil, do not go below the reach Of
plants which follow the clover crop, and
even when the clover is seeded in June
and left until the next October there is
a large addition to the supply of nitro
gen in the soil As farmers must pro.
vide nitrogen for all cereal crops, while
clover gives them nitrogen instead OF
demanding that material, there is a
great saving in expense, which is an
item of profit as we'll as the crop. The
most costly Of all fertilizers is notrogen,
and when the farmer can grow bis
nitrogen" as is really done with clover,
its importance as a renovating crop can
not be over-estimated.
As the red variety is more extensive
ly grown in this section than any other
it is we'll known, and as much as four
tons of clover hay per acre may be
credited TO some ia ms under favorable
conditions, but in the ex eriments made,
the clover being seeded in July aud the
crop (stems. leaves and roots) collected
in October in the same year, there we're
about 4 "a tons of stems and leaves
and little less than 2 "a tons of roots
per acre, of green material, which is
not large quantity of green clover, but
is sufficient to show what is left in the
soil as nitrogen The stems and leaves
contained 70 pounds OF nitrogen, valued
at $40 SO (at Is cents per pourd),
while the roots left 10 the ground to the
depth Of two feet contain AZ pounds Of
nit ogen worth S7.05, the total amount
of nitrogen in the crop being lit pounds
valued at $l7 55. Red clover, seeded
10 May aud cut 10 October of the same
year, produced over FIVE tons Of stems
and leaves and over three tons of roots
the total amount Of nitrogen being 13(
pounds The mammoth red clover
seeded in April aud cut in May Of the
following year, produced 10 tons o
stems and leaves and over s IL ton,
Of roots per acre. the total amount Of
nitrogen being $50 pounds The test,
were made to determin, the manuria
value Of clover, and the time was bu
little over one year, the increase Of nj.
trogen being much more than would be
supposed by farmers who grow the croI
for hay rather than for the purpose Of
improving the soil
What would attract attention in Q
clover crop is the amount Of nitrogen
in the roots left in the soil after the CROP
is taken OF The farmer may sell hi.
hay or feed the crop on the farm as pre-
ferred, but he still has left the nitrogen
which he gained by simply growing the
clover. The roots, therefore, may be
claimed as portion of the crop aud the
profit, and should be included in the
accounts as such In one case go pounds
of roots remained in the soil, valued al
nine dollars, which represented SO much
plant food waiting to be utilized the next
season and which differed from thai
usually supplied from the fact that tn,
farmer did not have to invest any CAPT
tai the next season for the heterogeneous
fertilizer, as be had his nitrogen ready
stored in the soil for his use. Any faru
that can be brought to that condition
as the farmer has but to supply th,
cheaper mineral fertilizers iu order t.
balance the plant food. The profits o.
farming do not depend upon the prices
realized compared with the amount Of
material removed from the land, the
real wealth aud capital Of the farmer
being his soil, and when he can sci
something from the land which provided
him with more than he took from it 10
the form of crop he is sure to become
prosperous in few years. -Philadel-
phia Record