GRASS CULTURE. 1(37 



the results there in full. The article is entitled, " Clover as a 

 preiDaratory crop for wheat.'' It iS well to bear in mind that the 

 requirements of the wheat crop are almost precisely the same, as 

 far as manure is concerned, as the grasses proper. Remember 

 that all the facts he gives you are as pertinent to the subject of 

 grass as of wheat. 



Mr. Sears. Secretary Goodale is undoubtedly right in what he 

 says about plowing in clover. When I was a younger man than I 

 am now, I attempted to raise wheat in a rotation with clover. I 

 commenced by sowing clover in the spring with the wheat, turn- 

 ing in the clover in the fall. I found my wheat crop deteriorated. 

 I then changed my plans and let the clover grow until the next 

 July, and turned it under when in full blossom. My wheat crop 

 deteriorated under that management. Since then, I have learned 

 that I plowed the clover under too early, when it was too green 

 and succulent ; that I should have let it remain until it ripened. 



About eight years ago the farmers in Winthrop commenced the 

 practice of top-dressing. It looked to me like throwing away the 

 manure, to spread it on the surface and let it evaporate. I have 

 watched the process, however, and have seen prodigious results 

 produced by this practice. I will state some of the conditions 

 under which top-dressing will be most profitable. understand 

 that the ground should be in English grass, and that the grass 

 should not be run out, although it may have become reduced. 

 Tojj-dressing will afiect English grass more advantageously than 

 low lands producing swale grass. Another thing is, that farmers 

 can. top-dress to good advantage the lower and stronger grass 

 land, reserving their finer soils, that they can cultivate more 

 easily, for tillage. Still another advantage is, that by top-dressing 

 the labor on their farms can be very much reduced. He can cur- 

 tail his plowing and hoeing by applying a portion of his manure to 

 his grass land ; consequently he will have to pay less for hired 

 labor. 



What kind of manure should be used for top-dressing ? It has 

 been supposed that it should be old and fine, but I have a neigh- 

 bor who has successfully used new, long manure. He spreads it 

 in the fall, and by the next spring it is out of the way of the hay- 

 ing operations. He finds that long manure msij be as profitably 

 applied as that which is fine. 



Mr. Putnam of Aroostook county. I had a piece of land of nine 

 acres, where I pastured a cow and a horse. I could not very 



