. of nitrogen. A few yards distance, on the
same soil, where the clover was bad, the acre of roots contained only 31
lbs. of nitrogen per acre.

So far, so good. We can well understand this result. Chemistry has
little to do with it. There was a good stand of clover on the one plot,
and a poor one on the other. And the conclusion to be drawn from it is,
that it is well worth our while to try to secure a good catch of clover.

"But, suppose," said the Doctor, "No. 2 had happened to have been
pastured by sheep, and No. 1 allowed to go to seed, what magic there
would have been in the above figures!"

Nos. 3 and 4 are from the same field, the second year. No. 4 is from a
square yard of thin clover on the brow of the hill, and No. 3, from the
richer, deeper land towards the bottom of the hill.

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 24-1/2 lbs. of nitrogen per acre in the one case, and 51-1/2
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 191-1/2 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 10-1/4 inches deep, and the
other only six