There is very little difference between them. The roots of thin clover from the brow of the hill, contain five lbs. more nitrogen per acre, than the roots on the deeper soil.
If we can depend on the figures, we may conclude that on our poor stony “knolls,” the clover has larger and longer roots than on the richer parts of the field. We know that roots will run long distances and great depths in search of food and water.
Nos. 5 and 6 are from a heavy crop of one-year-old clover. No. 5 was mown twice for hay, producing, in the two cuttings, over four tons of hay per acre. No. 6 was in the same field, the only difference being that the clover, instead of being cut the second time for hay, was allowed to stand a few weeks longer to ripen its seed. You will see that the latter has more roots than the former.
There are 24½ lbs. of nitrogen per acre in the one case, and 51½ lbs. in the other. How far this is due to difference in the condition of the land, or to the difficulties in the way of getting out all the roots from the square yard, is a matter of conjecture.
Truth to tell, I have very little confidence in any of these figures. It will be observed that I have put at the bottom of the table, the result of an examination made in Germany. In this case, the nitrogen in the roots of an acre of clover, amounted to 191½ lbs. per acre. If we can depend on the figures, we must conclude that there were nearly eight times as much clover-roots per acre in the German field, as in the remarkably heavy crop of clover in the English field No. 5.
“Yes,” said the Deacon, “but the one was 10¼ inches deep, and the other only six inches deep; and besides, the German experiment includes the ‘stubble’ with the roots.”
The Deacon is right; and it will be well to give the complete table, as published in the American Agriculturist:
TABLE SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF ROOTS AND STUBBLE LEFT PER ACRE BY DIFFERENT CROPS, AND THE AMOUNT OF INGREDIENTS WHICH THEY CONTAIN PER ACRE.
| No. of lbs. of stubble & roots (dry) per acre to a depth of 10¼ inches. | No. of lbs. of Nitrogen per acre. | No. of lbs. of ash, free from carbonic acid, per acre. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucern (4 years old) | 9,678.1 | 136.4 | 1,201.6 |
| Red-Clover (1 year old,) | 8,921.6 | 191.6 | 1,919.9 |
| Esparsette (3 years old) | 5,930.9 | 123.2 | 1,023.4 |
| Rye | 5,264.6 | 65.3 | 1,747.8 |
| Swedish Clover | 5,004.3 | 102.3 | 974.6 |
| Rape | 4,477. | 56.5 | 622.3 |
| Oats | 3,331.9 | 26.6 | 1,444.7 |
| Lupine | 3,520.9 | 62.2 | 550. |
| Wheat | 3,476. | 23.5 | 1,089.8 |
| Peas | 3,222.5 | 55.6 | 670.7 |
| Serradella | 3,120.1 | 64.8 | 545.6 |
| Buckwheat | 2,195.6 | 47.9 | 465.5 |
| Barley | 1,991.4 | 22.8 | 391.1 |
CONTENTS OF THE ASHES, IN POUNDS, PER ACRE.