562 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



A considerable part of the farms of both the Geneva and the 

 Cornell experiment stations are made iip of these soils. The clay 

 loam and silty olaj loam, rather than heavy clay, predominate. 

 The subsoil is rather more intractable. The heavier soils occur 

 northeast of Buffalo. 



The Dunkirk series in the western part of the state and the 

 Vergennes series in the northern and eastern parts are dominant in 

 this grouj). They are predominantly of a dark brown to gray- 

 brown color and, especially in the subsoil, are calcareous to a 

 notable degree. This is probably due to the association of these 

 lake areas with the outcrops of limestone throughout the state and 

 the calcareous deposits derived from those rocks. 



The topsoil is frequently deficient in lime for the best growth 

 of timothy, but the subsoil at one, two, or three feet is usually 

 well stocked with that material. This fact emphasizes the import- 

 ance of thorough drainage and fairly deep plowing in preparation 

 for the crop, in order that use may be made of the lime in the 

 subsoil. 



Better drainage — tile drainage — is perhaps the most im- 

 portant need of these soils. Shallow surface ditches are too much 

 depended on and are not only of small benefit to the crop, but 

 are damaging to the machinery and the good temper of the men 

 who work over them. One serious result of the lack of drainage 

 is heaving of the soil in winter and spring, which kills many 

 plants in the lower parts and patches up the fields with areas of 

 plantain and other weeds. 



The supply of organic matter is not large and, consequently, 

 the stock of available nitrogen is not especially large. Without 

 means to maintain this element, the yield is likely to dwindle 

 quickly in practice. It is best supplemented by legimies, stock 

 manure, and chemicals, according to conditions. Top-dressing 

 with chemicals is particularly effective on this soil. 



Upland Loam 



The fourth group of soils are a miscellaneous lot, made up of 

 many types in a number of series and distributed widely through 

 the state outside of the group already mentioned. They are not 

 notably productive of the crop, but under careful handling very 



