hile in the sun, were
weighed, when the square yard produced 1 lb. 10-1/2 oz. of cleaned
clover-roots, in an air-dry state; an acre of land, or 4,840 square
yards, accordingly yielded, in a depth of six inches, 3.44 tons, or
3-1/2 tons in round numbers, of clover-roots.

"Fully dried in a water-bath, the roots were found to contain altogether
44.67 per cent of water, and on being burnt in a platinum capsule,
yielded 6.089 of ash. A portion of the dried, finely powdered and well
mixed roots, was burned with soda lime, in a combustion tube, and the
nitrogen contained in the roots otherwise determined in the usual way.
Accordingly, the following is the general composition of the roots from
the soil No. 1:

Water 44.675
Organic matter[A] 49.236
Mineral matter 6.089
-------
100.000
=======
[A] Containing nitrogen 1.297
Equal to ammonia 1.575

"Assuming the whole field to have produced 3-1/2 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. Voelcker, "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:

General Composition of Soil, No. 1. (Good Clover).

Moisture 18.73
Organic matter[A] 9.72
Oxide o