78 AGRICULTUKAL EXPLORATIONS IN ALGERIA. 



Two sorts of n;itui:il inoiidow iire to be distinguished — sucxi its occu- 

 pies land that is dry during- the summer and such as is moist through- 

 out the year. The first type covers hy far the greater area. As in 

 California and in countries where most of the rain falls during the 

 winter months, the herbage is parched and brown in summer. With 

 the first autumn rains, however, a sudden transformation takes place. 

 The grass turns green as if liy magic, and innumerable flowering- 

 plants spring- up to l)eautify the land. 



During October, November, and December, in the coast region, 

 cattle and other stock are turned out to graze upon this tender young 

 growth. At its best, 5 acres will support B head of cattle. Dur- 

 ing the latter part of the winter and in the spring it is more profit- 

 able to keep animals oft' the natural meadows, allowing a hay crop to 

 be made. The greater part of the hay of the cohmy is produced by 

 the dry meadows of the coast region. This is the hay that is pur- 

 chased for the cavalry service of the army, and it is exported in con- 

 siderable quantity to France in years when the crop of that country is 

 short. 



Artificial treatment of these natural meadows is rarely attempted, 

 yet in many cases occasional irrigations, plowings, and mannrings 

 would verv largely increase the yields obtained. In some places it 

 might be advantageous to seed to wild grasses and forage plants of 

 better (juality than those now occupying- the land. Without treat- 

 ment of any kind, however, natural meadows will last a long time in 

 good soil — sometimes twenty years without serious deterioration. - 



Meadows that are moist and green throughout the year produce 

 more abundant but coarser forage. A cutting of hay is sometimes 

 taken in spring from such meadows, but during- the rest of the year 

 they are used as pastures. They are a valuable resource in summer, 

 when most of the grass land is scorched and dry. 



In the coast region, hay is cut between the middle of April and tlie 

 middle of May, the date of harvest varying considerubly in different 

 years and at difterent altitudes. The scythe is generally used, a native 

 workman receiving from 05 to 75 cents for cutting an aci'e. There 

 are some localities, like the Mitidja Valley, near Algiers, where the 

 nature of the ground permits the use of a mowing machine, which 

 reduces the cost to about 30 cents an acre. The average yield of hay 

 from an acre of natural meadow is a little more than 1 ton. 



In the drier valleys, like the Chelift, the hay can be gathered into 

 dou])le swaths by the horserake the day after it is cut. Two or three 

 days later it can be stacked in ricks. The rick ordinarily contains from 

 2 to 2i tons, and is generally covered over .with a thatch composed of 

 the coarse grass known as ''dyss'' (Ampelodesmos). In case it is not 

 convenient to place the rick on high ground, care is taken to surround 

 it with a trench to carr}^ off the rain water. One end of the rick 



