148 BOARD. OF AGRICULTURE. 



any crop without any fertilizers. A clover-crop takes from 

 the subsoil, and drags to the surface the elements required 

 by those plants which do not extend their roots so deep. 

 In my opinion, those old, exhausted pastures, which are so 

 important to the dairy interests in particular, and which we 

 desire to bring into fertility to give sustenance to our cattle, 

 can be greatly improved by drawing over them a fine-toothed 

 harrow similar to the Thomas smoothing-harrow, setting 

 the teeth at such an angle that they will scratch the surface, 

 then sowing a little clover-seed, and putting on one or two 

 hundred pounds of plaster to the acre. In this way, with- 

 out any manure, and with very little expense for seed or 

 plaster, you will secure a good pasture for your stock, and 

 at the same time you bring from the subsoil to the surface 

 the elements that will continue to improve your pasture from 

 year to year ; and when, finally, you desire to break that pas- 

 ture up for tillage purposes, you have your soil in a condi- 

 tion to grow almost any crop. That has been my experience, 

 and that is the cheapest and best way I know to fertilize our 

 pastures. 



In regard to the quantity of seed to be sown, I would 

 merely mention that red clover contains 205,000 seeds to a 

 pound, whereas white clover contains 686,000 (more than 

 three times the number of seeds), wliile a pound of sweet- 

 vernal grass-seed contains 923,000 seeds. It is as important 

 to have the soil in a condition to grow the grass-seed that 

 you sow as it is to have good seed ; and as much fault can be 

 found with the farmers who sow the seed, and complain 

 that they do not get a good catch, as with the dealers in 

 seed. The fault is more frequently with the farmer in not 

 getting the soil into a condition to bear his crop after the 

 seed germinates, than with the man who sells the seed. 



It has been said, that, in regard to the time of sowing and 

 the quantity of seed sown, we have got to take the chances. 

 I do not myself consider that the farmer has to take any 

 chances. If he wishes to sow grain and grass-seed together, 

 and to have them both germinate and grow well, he must 

 have his soil in a better condition than if it is to grow grass 

 alone. There is a very great difference in soils. If you 

 plough up some soil, you will find that certain grasses will 

 grow there that are indigenous to it,^and you will get a good 



