74 VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



with the fine tooth, and plant your corn, using fine harrow 

 again, soon after planting, followed by the weeder and cultiva- 

 tor if the land is inclined to harden, and so on until the corn is 

 sufficiently high to protect the grass plant, then seed to the 

 variety of grasses desired. Seediug in autumn, to grass alone, 

 such lands as are subject to the overflow ot a stream or river, 

 or moist lands producing undesirable grasses is a royal scheme. 

 Less quantities of fertilizer are required on such soils for the 

 reason that weeds and wild grass are quite likely to come in after 

 two or three years, and plowing again becomes both necessary 

 and profitable. Autumn seeding of all lands that are well pre- 

 pared is sure to yield good returns of all the desirable grasses 

 except red clover which is king of the meadow. Once more 

 do not forget to harrow throughly . It is the cheapest, the most 

 effectual, cultivation known to man. It is purely economy for 

 the reason that it disturbs the capillary evaporation of the 

 moisture of the soil by the breaking and smashing of the flues 

 through which the moisture would otherwise pass off into the 

 atmosphere, thereby robbing the crop of the element which is 

 indispensible to planth growth. Many careful and costly ex- 

 periments have proved too, that even poor soil continually and 

 throughly cultivated will produce a larger crop than rich soils 

 poorly tilled and half cultivated. Hence when both carefully 

 conducted experiments and common practice develope the same 

 results, is it the part of wisdom or economy to pass the lesson 

 unheeded ? 



HOW MUCH AND WHAT KINDS OP SEED TO SOW. 



That depends on the quality of seed, the condition of the 

 land, whether evenly distributed and in some cases the nature of 

 the soil as regards moist or dry. In my opinion, it would be 

 better in most cases, if farmers used less seed to the acre, and 

 took greater pains to get the land in better condition. I think 

 of no better formula in the use of seeds for rich upland 

 soils than the following. Use seeds that are fully grown, well 

 harvested and cured, well cleaned and true to name. Ten lbs. 

 of red northern clover seed, three or four quarts of timothy, and 

 four lbs. of alsike clover seed to the acre. Low lands and moist 

 ground about six lbs. of red top, three quarts of timothy, and 

 three or four lbs of Alsike clover to the acre, the latter sowed 

 in early spring. Clover sowed later than the last of June or 

 first of July is quite likely to winttr kill. 



CUTTING AND CURING HAY. 



The day has come and gone for the use of the hand scythe 

 and sickle. Mowing machines, spring seat horse rakes, ditto 



