The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-01-05
CLOVER AND FERTILITY.

A recent report from the ontario
experiment station says:
Glover is one of the most valuable
farm crops. 1t is generally recogniz-
ed by farmers to be a heavy yielder OF
hay, which furnishes a large amount
Of valuable food constituents. us
beneficial effects upon the soil, how
ever. do not seem to be so clearly I'M
derstood. Scientists who have MADE
a careful study of the influence Oh
clover on the soil tell us that after
large crops have been removed from
the land the soil is actually richer IN
nitrogen after growing clover than IL
was before, owing to the large amount
of nitrogen which the clover roots
have obtained from the air. As a rule
farmers grow clover and timothy to-
gether. and are therefore unable 10
ascertain the comparative influence OF
each of these crops on the soil
1--WE have conducted a series OF ex-
periments at the agricultural college,
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 plots and
removed the crops, after which the
land was plowed and other crops were
sown. The results, therefore, snow
the influence of the roots remaining
in the soil upon the productiveness
of crops following the clovers and
grasses. In 1902 barley was sown ait
er each of four varities OF clovers and
three 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; l~ucerne, 1,45O; alsike clover.
1,427; mammoth red clover, laos;
meadow fescue grass, 1908; orchard
grass, LOIS. and timothy, BAG 1t will.
therefore, be seer that the red clover
sod gave an increase owe the timothy
sod of $40 pounds, or nearly twelve
bushels per acre.
III duOlECI 6ADcIlIlCHl WnlOh q
completed in 1900, in which winter
wheat was sown on both clover n
grass sods, it was found that an aver
age of 1874 pounds of wheat per acre
was obtained from the clover sod, and
only 1900 pounds from the grass sod.
I'm 1899, a mixture of oats and ar
lev was sown on clover sod, and also
on grass sod. The results were very
marked, as an average of 2,256 pounds
Of mixed grains per acre was obtained
from the clover sod and only 1,O7S
pounds of liked 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 Sc per cent.
"The results of these experiments
help us to appreciate the benficial in
iuence on the soil from growing Glow
er. 1t also indicates the suitability of
a properly cultivated clover sod a. a
preparation for winter wheat or for
spring grains"
Those who have o been able to
grow clover should find the cause Of
their failure and apply the necessary
remedy. 1t is only a 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 cor ition of
soils, especially where the latter are
heavy clay"