| Water | 44.675 |
| Organic matter* | 49.236 |
| Mineral matter | 6.089 |
| 100.000 | |
| * Containing nitrogen | 1.297 |
| Equal to ammonia | 1.575 |
“Assuming the whole field to have produced 3½ tons of clover-roots, per acre, there will be 99.636 lbs., or in round numbers, 100 lbs. of nitrogen in the clover-roots from one acre; or, about twice as much nitrogen as is present in the average produce of an acre of wheat.”
“That is a remarkable fact,” said the Deacon, “as I understand nitrogen is the great thing needed by wheat, and yet the roots alone of the clover, contain twice as much nitrogen as an average crop of wheat. Go on Charley, it is quite interesting.”
“The soil,” continues Dr. Vœlcker, “which had been separated from the roots, was passed through a sieve to deprive it of any stones it might contain. It was then partially dried, and the nitrogen in it determined in the usual manner, by combustion with soda-lime, when it yielded .313 per cent of nitrogen, equal to .38 of ammonia, in one combustion; and .373 per cent of nitrogen, equal to .46 of ammonia, in a second determination.
“That the reader may have some idea of the character of this soil, it may be stated, that it was further submitted to a general analysis, according to which, it was found to have the following composition:
| Moisture | 18.73 |
| Organic matter* | 9.72 |
| Oxide of iron and alumina | 13.24 |
| Carbonate of lime | 8.82 |
| Magnesia, alkalies, etc. | 1.72 |
| Insoluble silicious matter, (chiefly clay) | 47.77 |
| 100.00 | |
| * Containing nitrogen | .313 |
| Equal to ammonia | .380 |
“The second square yard from the brow of the hill, where the clover was bad, produced 13 ounces of air-dry, and partially clean roots, or 1.75 tons per acre. On analysis, they were found to have the following composition:
| Water | 55.732 |
| Organic matter* | 39.408 |
| Mineral matter, (ash) | 4.860 |
| 100.000 | |
| * Containing nitrogen | .792 |
| Equal to ammonia | .901 |
“The roots on the spot where the clover was very bad, yielded only 31 lbs. of nitrogen per acre, or scarcely one-third of the quantity which was obtained from the roots where the clover was good.
“The soil from the second square yard, on analysis, was found, when freed from stones by sifting, to contain in 100 parts: