The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1905-01-06
{ AND FERTILITY.
g report from the onfri

Gt report from the Ontario
ent station says:
Yer is one Of the most valuable
crops. 1t is generally recogniz-
by farmers to be heavy yielder OF
~. which furnishes large amount
Id valuable food constituents. It's
beneficial effects upon the soil, how
aver. do not seem to be so clearly IN
aerstood. Scientists who have made
careful study Of the influence Oh
slower on the soil tell us that after
large crops have been removed from
he land the soil is actually richer IN
nitrogen after growing clover than II
was before, owing to the large amount
Of nitrogen which the clover roofs
have obtained from the air. AS rule,
farmers grow clover and timothy 70
gether. and are therefore unable 20
ascertain the comparative influence OF
each Of these crops on the soil.
Eve have conducted a series OF ex-
oeriments at the agricultural coliege'
Guelph, on three different occasions
, In order to ascertain the comparative
value of clover and grass sod for crop
production. We first grew clovers
and grasses upon separate pots and
removed the crops, after which the
iand was plowed and other crops were
sown. The results, therefore, show
the influence of the roots remaining
IN the soil upon the productfveness
Of crops following the cloyers ana
grasses. In 1902 barley was sown aft
er each Of four varities OF clovers and
tfsres varieties of grasses. in four dill
ferent places in our experimental
grounds. The average results OF the
four tests in pounds of barley per
acre were as follows: Red clover,
1916; lucerne. 1,450; alsike clover,
f,427; mammoth red clover, l,4oS;
meadow fescue grass, 1908; orchard
grass. LOIS, and timothy, 946. 1t will,
therefore, be seen that the red clover
sod gave an increase over the timothy
sod of $40 pounds, or nearly twelve
bushels per acre.
I'm another experiment, which was
completed in 1900, in which winter
wheat was sown en- both clover and
grass sods, it was found that an aver
age of 1874 pounds of wheat per acre
was obtained from the clover Sod, and
only 1890 pounds from the grass sod.
TN 1899, mixture of oats and bar
ley was sown on clover sod. and also
on grass sod. The results were very
marked, as an averaga of 2,256 pounds
of mixed grains per acre was obtained
from the clover sod and only 1,07S
pounds of mixed grains per acre from
the grass sod. BY averaging the re-
suits of these three grains, we find
that the crop grown on the clover sod
gave an increase over the crop grown
on the grass sod by fully IS per cent.
eThe results of these experiments
hep us to appreciate the beneficial in
fluence on the soil from growing Glow
er. 1t also indicates the suitability of
q properly cultivated clover sod as a
preparation for winter wheat or for
spring grains"
Those who have not been able to
grow clover should md the cause OF
their failure and apply the necessary
remedy. 1t is only question Of time
until the soil will be come depleted
of its nitrogen, if no legumes are
grown or nitrogen added in some form
of fertilizer Besides adding nitrogen
TO the soil. the legumes very greatly
improve the mechanical condition Of
soils. especially where the latter are
heavy clay"