FORAGE CROPS IN NEW ENGLAND. 173 



Question. "With something besides fertilizers? 



Mr. Cheever. No, sir. I am not afraid to depend upon 

 bone, or other good fertilizers, wholly. 



Mr. King. I have used fertilizers in seeding down grass- 

 land. I put on from twenty to twenty-five dollars' worth 

 per acre ; and my first crop is heavy. I know of one field 

 that has been in grass for four years, on one side of which a 

 fertilizer was used when it was seeded down, and on the 

 other side manure, only about four cords to the acre ; and 

 there has been no second crop raised on the side where the 

 fertilizer was put when the land was seeded down. Previ- 

 ously the land had been manured alike. That is one 

 instance where the fertilizer has failed with me. Still, I 

 believe in using fertilizers ; and with us it has brought 

 manure down from ten dollars per cord to five dollars, and 

 we have got a great advantage in that direction. But I am 

 satisfied that there are certain crops where I have been as 

 successful in getting as good a yield with the use of fertil- 

 izers as I could with almost any kind of manure, say eight 

 cords per acre. I live in an onion neighborhood. We raise 

 a great many onions in a good onion year. But I have my 

 doubts about the use of fertilizers on grassland. I don't 

 think the strength remains in the land. I think it nearly all, 

 if not all, goes out in one year. I am aware that people 

 differ ; and all I know about it is from my own experience. 



Mr. CheevePw I cannot tell what the future may bring : 

 the past has been satisfactory. 



Mr. King. I understand you have used it year after 

 year ? 



Mr. Cheever. For six years. 



Mr. King. I understand you do not sow your land down 

 to grass : you keep it up all the time ? 



Mr. Cheever. I have sowed down six acres this year, 

 and used largely bone. 



Question. Do you think subsoiling pays ? and how does 

 it compare with using clover as a deep-rooted crop for the 

 same purpose ? 



Mr. Cheever. I do not know how strong the clover- 

 root is ; but I think it would not have got down very much 

 in some of my soil if I had not subsoiled it. My subsoil 

 plough is a steel plough, with a colter, but no mould-board. 



