The Grass Crop. 619 



stance of the soil, a better catch and more lasting sod is 

 secured. For this reason it is a good plan to plow sod land, 

 allow it to lie several weeks, or months, as may be necessary 

 for the decay of the sod, and re-plow it before seeding. Fer- 

 tilizers should be fine and well mixed with the soil. Hard 

 lumps of barnyard manure are of little value as a fertilizer 

 for grass. Seed should be covered lightly with a harrow, a 

 bush or a roller. 



Clover seed may be sown early in spring, on fall seeded 

 land. But it must be sown before the soil has become dry 

 on the surface. It is better put on before the frost is out. 

 There is, however, no doubt that clover seed is more certain 

 to come if covered with the soil. Clover should always be 

 sown as well as grass seed. Clover derives much of its nour- 

 ishment from the atmosphere, and leaves the soil in fine con- 

 dition for the development and growth of the grasses. Plas- 

 ter is the cheapest fertilizer for clover. It should be sown 

 when the young plants have put forth their leaves, and 

 should be repeated annually, if not twice a year, as long as 

 there is clover. 



Lands planted with corn may be seeded to grass without 

 grain with good results. The sod lasts longer than if the 

 manure had been taken by a crop of small grain. 



Lands that are rough and difficult of cultivation may be 

 top-dressed. If there is a good sod, the benefits of top- 

 dressing are greater than if the sod is poor. For this rea- 

 son top-dressing should be frequent, and not be delayed 

 until the grass is bound out, and its roots enfeebled or dead. 

 Moist land shows better results than dry land from this man- 

 ner of using manure. Its effects are far more apparent and 



