GRASS CROP. 103 



■Qse, but in cases of necessity as many more might be added to the 

 list, anj^ one of which, when made into hay would not be disdained 

 by our lean and hungry kine. 



It is contended by some farmers that they raise of herds-grass 

 and red clover all their soil will support. In one sense that may 

 be true, and that is one reason why vacant spaces are found in so 

 manj' of our newly seeded fields. But different varieties of grass 

 require different el(iments from the soil ; and while these two are 

 taking all the elements that are in the soil necessaiy for their sup- 

 port, may there not be, and are there not, probably, many other 

 elements lying dormant which would support some of the other 

 grasses ; which would fill up all those vacant spaces, and add 

 largely to every year's product ? This is one of the reasons why 

 I would sow several different kinds at the same time. I do not 

 think there is any great danger of overseeding. I once heard of 

 a man who made the remark, that " he had sown as much as three 

 pecks of rye to the acre, and he did not think there was the least 

 danger of sowing too much." In his case there was not ; and in 

 sowing grass seed, remember the more seed the finer ha}^ ; and I 

 presume your stock, as well as mine, will take fine hay in prefer- 

 ence to coarse. 



It may not be out of place here to speak more fully of the rela- 

 tive value of some of the grasses. Timothj'^ or herds-grass has 

 generally been considered the king of New England grasses ; but 

 in my estimation it is not entitled to that position. It is composed 

 almost wholly of one single straight stalk, with a small amount of 

 leaves, and it changes suddenly from starch and sugar to hard 

 woody fibre, bj' not being cut exactly in the right season. Its 

 principal root is a bulb, and the fibrous roots do not enter so 

 deeply into the soil as the roots of some other varieties, conse- 

 quently it is more easily affected by droughts. 



I presume you have all seen, at a little distance, what appeared 

 to be a splendid field of herds-grass, that from your stand point 

 showed two or more tons per acre ; but upon examination you find 

 one very grave reason why there should not be ; and that reason 

 is, there are not more than half stalks enough to do it. You can 

 almost travel through the field without stepping upon a single 

 stalk. One great objection to this grass, is too much stalk and 

 too little leaf. Standing by itself it is too open, letting in tlie hot 

 sun to burn and parch the soil. Another is its bulbous root, 

 which has too many enemies, and whenever the bulbs are 



