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Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 126, 2 May 1885, Page 4

,■ Thc > 'ti;an.s|iof(;.cli?ji > ges hi Bpcliusijia- ' ■.ilantliiimpnn.ti tatUjcyit tl»i-?fcet»n shinings? pei" ; ; ihile; .'.'for// the .■dJimugc ,of lOo!^^e^ht; r jftlie.l^iitch'hold the inoqo[»ly o'j: the \vaggoi)s/" $ I

The roots of clover are a great dealmore beneficial m restoring the wast ed fertility of soil than the roots of ! any other plant with which I am j familiar. Anyone who knows the' i habits of the clover plant, and has ever taken i-the-- pains to examine vigorous old clover' < -roots, cannot fail to be suprised ' at ■ the quantity of black vegetable 5 , mould collected near such foots, which is m great part decayed haulm) This is even the case whenthe crop of clover is produced for ho 'other purpose than to be converted itito hay. The I roots of clover go along distance m search of plant food, and vegetable i growth su pjrjjmoted always acts to the benefit of the surface soil. Ido not believe that I have ever grown a crop of clover that impoverished the soil m the slightest degree ; and ' I have always some hopes of a -field on which I can grow -clover.; Tlie action of clover being thus beneficial when grown and removed, the mucln greater excellence, of a crop growji for the purpose of being left upon the ground, can easily be understood.---t SOf 0 ferfjiSad^bf cipher i walk muoye 4 rfom^el#abou^li£s |)(>«lidl bf inorganic matter* if the crop itselfiis removed^ jJsjSvc| |S^)f cured clover is a good crop, and when two tons' \of i cloyeos rem o ved- fro man f acre : of iiaffdjlS ain^M|l|pi||itg pounds of inorganic matter, of which about?;, V 6&r . pounds , .is .potash, 67 pounds lime, and 20 pounds phoslioricacid. , I . know of t ; no other ■"iirop* whic^ii ialMs from -thefsott sujch a large amount of ignorganic matter, and if this matter were taken froni : fM4> surlace|i<of4he'^soil j(as ( ' g is the case Jwitli'i" other. iCicpps), no crop would tax the fertility of the ipil' like clover. But as the element^ of, : fextilj ty v , . j are i taken,- not frpm the ; "surffice^^t'frmnja^ejg'tTi readiedby no other crop, and as the mass! o£s clover roots is left m the soil, ito;gether ); with. , considerable, stubble,^, of po^tashVlirae and ; phospiioric'acid'talfeii'from a debtH of soil, much is done to counteract 51 the impoverishing tendency ofireTnovnig |scf ! 'large'-^n of inorgatiicHnatter.' -' ! U'here is no prop that removes so much inorganic matter per 1000 pouuds from \ the s6ibvbf>'clo.V©r ;,«it ( i_s. therjefoi^.aigood crop to precede any white straw crop, even if this crop is removed (^nt;i.v,ely;fi;om the. i field.. < ,and fed | out. for the benefit of some btl/er portion of -the farm. There is another) direct advantage to be realised from closer— ;the ameliorating^ influence rjy^tlie upon ''tlie condition of the soil. A crop of clover^ always leaves the soil more loose' ancL .porous than any other crop i and 'm'ord' -eksy to v cultivate^ahd clover sod is m fact not sod at alii If clover is given its proper place, the lifertij}ity.,.,;of\l ifertij }i ty. , . , ; of \ ■. . . the s . farm/, ; T?? jll stand repeated: attacks>irom ignorant thus-' bandry. . In restoring wasted fertility, the true value of clover can be ;.seevi v to tljfi. , .b.est. jaclvantage when ploughed under and ' alloweVil to de- ' .compose, This is a most superior preparation, for wheat. — Corintry °G£Htlemani ; '\'4 i U*A*-h*-\n''\