THE CULTURE AND USES OF BROME-GRASS. 61 



PREPARATION OF BROME-GRASS MEADOWS FOR OTHER CROPS. 



The breaking up of a brome-grass meadow and the preparation for 

 other crops is a very important matter. It has been found at the 

 Manitoba experimental farm that plowing the sod after a crop of hay 

 has been cut and the aftermath has made a growth of 3 or 4 inches 

 gives very satisfactory results. The plowing may be done the latter 

 part of June or the first of July and the sod back-set either in the 

 fall or early in the spring and put in condition for wheat or other 

 grains by disking and harrowing. If the aftermath is allowed to 

 grow to the extent above indicated, it assists very materially in rotting 

 the sod and also supplies additional humus. When the breaking is 

 done immediately after a crop of hay or seed is harvested, the sod does 

 not rot well, especially if the season is dry, and conse(|uently the 

 ground is in poor condition for a crop the following spring. 



A method which has been found to be practicable, at least in the 

 eastern portion of the Dakotas, is to break early in the spring after 

 the grass gets a good start, then disk and roll thoroughly, and in June 

 sow to flax at the rate of about half a bushel to the acre. In this case, 

 unless the flax makes a good stand there will be some danger of the 

 brome-grass making a sufficient growth to become troublesome. 

 Where flax is a successful crop, it can follow brome-grass to good ad- 

 vantage. No matter what method is practiced, the grass is likely to 

 give trouble the first season on account of its persistence, but if prop- 

 erly handled Avill not be a serious menace. It is necessary in the drier 

 sections to break the sod when the moisture conditions are favorable, 

 whether in fall or spring, as it is very difficult to break and does not 

 rot readily. On account of the latter fact the sod requires consider- 

 able working in the sections of low rainfall. 



MISCELLANEOUS USES. 



The aggressive nature of brome-grass fits it for certain uses and 

 situations for which the common standard grasses are not adapted. 

 It is very valuable for putting heavy new land in condition for other 

 crops. The rich heavy soil of river bottoms, which are frequently 

 covered with a dense growth of weeds and brush, may be put in good 

 condition by seeding heavily after clearing and plowing. At the end 

 of two years the grass comes on to the exclusion of the weeds and 

 makes an excellent hay meadow. 



There are certain classes of soil that after having been plowed for 

 five or six years become very loose and blow badly and are in poor 

 mechanical condition for ordinary crops. AVlien Bromus inermis is 

 grown on such land for a few years it adds a sufficient amount of 



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