Thanks for the info on the clover.  I'll plant some in the spring.   Do you
have the name of a good book showing which plants are compatible with each
other as soil builders/sustainers?        Oliva

-----Original Message-----
From: Aaron Felker


>It isn't so much atmospheric, as agricultural.  Nitrogen is an essential
>nutrient in the soil, but most plants (especially cultivated ones) have no
>means to access atmospheric nitrogen (which makes up 80% of our air). Most
>nitrogen used agriculturally is manufactured synthetically via petroleum
>byproducts to make chemical fertilizer.  Some organic farmers will use
>clover planted inbetween the rows of their cash crop to keep the soil in
>good shape. The legumes have a symbiotic relationship with certain bacteria
>that live in nodules on their roots.  Without the various nitrogen fixing
>plants, all soil would be exhausted eventually.
>>Aaron Felker
>