LECTURES AND ESSAYS READ AT INSTITUTES. 109 



We will not puzzle onr farmers with numerous long lists of mixtures at a 

 mere guess, but give a few of the best and advise experimenting each for him- 

 self. A great point is gained when a farmer ventures to deviate from the 

 usages of his father or neighbors. Many have fallen into certain practices, 

 often without very substantial reasons. 



HOW MUCH SEED SHALL I SOW ? 



That depends on the size and vitality of the seeds, the number of seeds to 

 the bushel, the condition of the land, whether distributed evenly, and the 

 nature of the season which is to follow. No fixed rule will relieve the farmer 

 from thinking for himself and employing all the good judgment at his com- 

 mand. In the opinion of the writer, it would be better, in most cases, if 

 farmers used less seed to the acre and took more pains to get the land in bet- 

 ter condition. Suppose we sow twelve quarts of timothy seed and four pounds 

 of red clover to the acre. This will make 18,944,000 seeds of timothy and 

 6,024,000 seeds of clover, a total of 24,908,000 seeds, or about four seeds to 

 the square inch. Using finer seeds in mixtures, as prescribed by some of the 

 English dealers, they often sow from 50,000,000 to 100,000,000 seeds to the acre, 

 or not far from eight to sixteen seeds to each square inch. In either case, 

 there can be room for only a small portion of the plants, should all the seeds 

 grow and thrive. Much caution must be used in applying the fixed rules laid 

 down in books, or the fixed rules laid down by men who seldom consult the 

 books. 



To improve pastures buy cattle which have been started on some farm 

 which you will never see ; buy grain and feed to tiie cattle which run on the 

 pasture; apply ashes, barn-yard manure, nitrate of soda, bone meal. 



There is an incessant battle for life going on among the plants of a meadow 

 or pasture. As wolves quarrel over a carcass, or hungry swine over an ear of 

 corn, so plants struggle with each other to secure the greatest amount of 

 food. Whether they be diatoms in the pool, fungi on the rotting apple, 

 weeds by the wayside, or grasses in the meadow, one rule governs them all. 

 Each strives for all it can get. Dean Herbert was more than half right. 

 "Plants do not grow where they like best, but where other plants will let them." 

 In the words of the Agricultural Gazette: '"Grasses live in harmony on the 

 old unmanured, open park, having notliing to fight for in a state of nature. 

 Season after season the same plants appear in about the same proportions. 

 But toss them a bone, ground fine, or any other choice bit. and their har- 

 monious companionship terminates at once. Every art of improved cultiva- 

 tion occasions instant war. A grass likes the best that can be got. It will 

 swallow soda, but not when it can get potash." 



Baron J. B. Lawes and his associates at Rothamsted, St. Albans, England, 

 at great labor made some prolonged and elaborate experiments, continued for 

 more than 20 years. On an old meadow he tried and carefully watched the 

 effects of some dozen kinds of manures. Here we have the most valuable 

 experiments ever made on permanent grass land. 



The manures which were the most effective with wheat, barley, or oats on 

 arable land were also the most effective in bringing forward the meadow 

 grasses. Again, those manures which were the most beneficial to beans or 

 ©lover benefited most other species of leguminous plants. The grasses proper 

 and the clovers with their allies require manure somewhat different. The 

 changes were most marked where the most liberal manuring was employed. 



