106 STATE BOAED OF AGEICULTUEE. 



principle that it is "vvhat you put on the land, not what you take off, which makes 

 it rich. 



Mr. Bigsby. — I think the trouble is that we take too much from our meadows 

 without putting anything back. In the early part of the season some of oui* 

 farmers turn their stock into the highways until they secure a crop of hay, and 

 then they turn in their stock and pasture these meadows until nothing is seen. 

 The consequence is that there is nothing to protect the roots of the grass, and it 

 soon dies out. "What straw they raise is usually sold for $1 per load, and in this 

 way of managing the soil is entirely exhausted. 



Mr. Shepard. — There is no difficulty, as a general thing, in getting a good 

 catcli of clover. That is, it will spring up and grow until the dry weather comes 

 on, and then it dies out. There ought to be another crop on the ground to hold 

 the moisture. 



Mr. Shultes. — I sow my timothy in the fall and the clover in the spring ; then 

 there is something to cover the ground and hold the moisture. A heavy crop 

 of wheat growing and maturing on that ground will kill the clover, unless there 

 are rains very frequently. I soAved my clover once Avhen I sowed my Avheat. 

 The young clover came up pretty nice, and when about two inches high there 

 came on a hard frost and killed it. That was my last experiment of sowing 

 clover seed in the fall. 



Spencer Marsh. — It strikes me that land that is capable of producing wheat 

 is also capable of giving clover a start. My exj)erience is that clover growing 

 with wheat is less liable to drouth than when crowing alone. The gentleman 

 thinks Ave cannot do Avithout hay. I raise but Aery little, as my land is not 

 adapted to it, and I depend on corn stalks. My father had a farm, Avlien I Avas 

 a boy, capable of producing tAvo or three tons of hay to the acre, and he used to 

 think his cornstalks more valuable than his hay crop. A Avord in relation to 

 the time of cutting hay. A gentleman near Philadelphia made careful experi- 

 ments in regard to early and late cutting, and he discarded early cutting. 

 That Avas the experience of my father. He Avas the last man to cut his grass, 

 and when asked for a reason, would reply, "Ask my cattle and horses. 

 They can tell the Avhole story better than I can." 



Mr. Amsden. — I Avould like to ask Dr. Kedzie in relation to the relative value 

 of a load of straAv and a load of muck. 



Ur. Kedzie. — It is according to hoAV you use your straAV or hoAv you use your 

 muck. As far as the valuable ash elements are concerned, there is more in a 

 load of Avheat straw than in the muck ; but a? far as nitrogen is concerned, the 

 muck contains tlie most. 



Mr. Amsden. — The reason why I asked the question Avas this : AVe had on 

 the old farm a little lot called the meadoAV ; and to my certain knoAvledge, for 

 fifteen years in succession we mowed as large a SAvath as a man could put aside. 

 It was the clean timothy. Every sjDring a small brook flowed it for some five or 

 six weeks, and my theory was that the brook brought doAvn the elements of the 

 muck and distributed them OA'er the field, Avhich caused this remarkable yield of 

 grass year after year. 



Dr. Kedzie. — In addition to the vegetable matter brought doAvn, we find that 

 most of the Avater in the streams of the country is hard, and contains sulphate 

 of lime and alkaline salts in solution. These materials, deposited by the Avaters 

 over the surface of the meadoAV, account for the marvellous crops of hay. 



Mr. Loomis. — I Avould like to ask the doctor if farmers should use salt upon 

 their lands? 



