WHAT CLOVER DOES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 94, 14 January 1908, Page 2

WHAT CLOVER DOES.

A FERTILISER THAT COSTS NOTHING In a sort of way a clovcr plant—-liko itc ' oolisins the bean, and . pea,.\ and ..Other.. •• v legumes—ploughs and trenches- and irrigates, , and manures the farmer's land, feeds his stock, and fills, his pockets ..with unearned' , gold How does it do all this? I.—lt Ploughs. > ' . •••; Each clover plant sonds'a root down -Mn . the subsoil to a' depth of•sisvera) feet. After 7^,, tbo root has decayed.tbo small channel it i made remains to admit air and- help m, tho r-., .. . ii sweotoningi iof .the sod. ... Subsequept . crops . .... bonolit. ■ The total- amount of ploughing, of,, this kind done by the crop on an of l&nd , is very considerable , \; ' 2.—lt . j Tho object of. tronehiiife is to break ,up, tb#, 1. subsoil "and aerate it,,anu.sometimes totynng,,,. . l V , , : , it to tho surfacei.-■ ..Clover roots do_this. ■■pj... ; boring channels down>into,^tbo-subsoil,,. they,,; admit 1 air; and promote .tho; breaking up (^, tho subsoil Thoy biing plant foods from thfe ' , deep levels] up: to :tho surfaqo, vand ... tho crop bo ploughed in or fed off, thb J is an enrichment of the top soil. , :'-'j : .V", v V"-'..; ■' 3.—lt Irrigates. .■'•By improving - the: subsoil and matorig, it habitable for : the rpotS< of subsequent crops, , clover'causes such crops, to r&ot wore .deeply. j and thus obtain moro; nioi6ture ; in timesi 6f drought--' By ohannolling , tho, sufisou the ... -. clover roots make it more retentive of piois^....: turo; By decaying in. tho soilj thos6 roots . A • add huimis; ;which is, tho greatest lOfc-.aH nv, ( ■»_ - • tinners of: moisture. •By the- decay.- of 7,its ..-j . ■ loaves and stems when; ploughed N into-.,the.^,,..« soil, clover adds humus ( to>tho surface . and still further:: lncro&ses:, tho. - . mg power. - By th©\ channelling- and humus combined; clover &ssi6ts\rai?is sctiud and moisture frohi. below to • '• •" 'U - : ,'vv . '-/{ 4.—lt Manures. 11 % t__ j After a clovor crop has been harvested,. J ' there remains in the soil 111 tho roots .thorn- i selves: gain of about - 1251b.v0f., mtrogen . iier acre, practically all obtainable from, the . Sir itself. This quantity is. equivalent to the amount of nitrogon -iii; 6cwt. of. sulphate of ammonia, costing £6,, or c9ual,.to ; roQ.#?iWffl».M >..iv\.-.. in Bcwt. of nitrate of soda, costijig is all " extra," for it remains in tho roots' . l after tho hay has been rcinoyidj and in a 1 splendid form for the ifpUowing. crop to. v use. At the present price of nitrato ; pf,6Daa ; _ . tho'quantity of nitrogen_floating;in,thp.air. I over each aero of land ;in. New. /jealand is.'. ,;.. , 1 .worth (when fixed"),,.£4,000,000. It .is . I this store of nitrogen that the-clover plants I draw-upon. If all this air nitrogen could , be'brought'down and madovayailablo.fpr.iUSß,.., then tho ownor of.a 100-acre section-.woiild,.. bo entitled to an: amount worth, 400 million - ppunds.. 1 , V.V,- : vi' : s.—lt Feeds the StocX.;, , , • ! Tho high feeding value of clover- is everywhere recognised. Tho, Valuable ■ nitrogon oontained in ordinary, meadow hay has .to oe replaced to tho soil at.' a hoavy cost _to ,t.io farmer. But tho nitrogen in clover-hay or . ■■ lucernb or 1 beans is practically all obtam<» ....... ■from tho atmosphere, and has not to.bo re- • placed into tho soil. • But more- this, t'ho' amount of nitrogai left 'nl tho* soil., in , the clover .roots'ris -asvmuch-as is removed- ; jjy' an ordinary orop of- meadow-hay.. The - ... 'quantities remaining,in: tho,roots vary with , , . different', crops,',:-from |;1001b., to ~3001b.:. or, \ nitrogen per acre., Lucorno is, particularly liberal,-and is, moreover, a dcop-roOted and.- ;j groat drought-resistor.:. ..Thus, clover ■ , . pother.'leguminous crops , not only, provide a _ ■ ; hav crop-'for. the.. nitiogon.., of which, tho 1 lws l; nq,t»t.Q,pstJ.a penny,, but leave - • imoro:-thaii:. enough nitrogen 111 the. soil ; tor ■a crop of -grass, or- grain-t0^f0110w...,.... e.^it'Fills the Farmer's Pockets.. ti ..„ , : -'' ,T A!n Scfe .'of-landii therofore, .-purchased-for , :'£B, ; and cropped with clqver, js worth"£l2 •per ac're so sOon as tho crop is. remoyed on • . aiicount iof having £6 .worth: of additional-, "hitrogon 'ill tho-soihv ■•The. fact, that - would not look at'the:nMtter : ;frbiii;that ppmt.; r; pfi; : view" docs ''not lessen the- truth'.; of , tuo •stateinerit: ; i - '• the caso is under-seated, for.tnero- ■ ; are;tbe mechah'ical effects'to bo . taken into account, tho deep-rooting, tho humus, .and their effects upon subsequent .crops. On tho ovhole; there is goO f d.reason-for;-, looking mth V friendly-eye';:upbii' ft: clover,. pr..bean-' or-;. v ■ ; lucerho'crop:.V V- ■ 'v''" " •