FIELD CROPS. 829 



In considering the grasses as soil builders, the author discusses the 

 function of humus in soil, and infers that a field of turned and rotted 

 turf is in a better condition for cropping than an equal area of long- 

 cropped soil abundantly supplied with commercial fertilizers, but 

 deficient in organic matter. " Turf is indirectly a reservoir of nitrogen, 

 and to cover a field with grass is one of the best ways of increasing 

 the amount of humus in the soil." 



Barnyard manure, ground bone, bone meal, fish scrap, tankage, dried 

 blood, bran, cotton-seed meal, peanut meal, and legumes grown as green 

 manures or for soiling purposes, are considered valuable sources of 

 nitrogen in fertilizing grass land. Nitrate of soda is not recommended 

 as a fertilizer for grass lands, because it readily leaches away, often 

 produces bad results when applied in large amounts, and has shown 

 itself to have but little influence on the total amount of nitrogen in a crop 

 of clover or peas. Superphosphate or acid phosphate are recommended 

 as sources of phosphoric acid, and wood ashes, kainit, and tobacco 

 stalks as sources of potash. It is advised to make frequent applica- 

 tions of small amounts of fertilizer on very sandy soils in order to 

 obviate the loss of fertilizing material through washing and leaching. 

 ''On such lands, when it cau be cheaply obtained, crushed cotton seed, 

 from which the oil has not been extracted, is better than cotton seed 

 meal, the oil acting to retard the rotting of the seed and thus extending 

 the period of usefulness of its nitrogen." 



The preparation of the soil, as outlined by the author, consists of 

 plowing from C to 9 in. deep and subsoiliug to an additional depth of 

 from to 12 in., and then harrowing the ground until the surface soil 

 has been brought to a fine tilth and all weeds destroyed. Fall seeding 

 is considered most desirable. The author recommends sowing the seed 

 broadcast without a nurse crop, going over the field in two directions, 

 sowing one half of the seed at each time; to cover the seed with a light 

 brush harrow, and finally to roll the ground for the purpose of packing 

 the surface to prevent the drying out of the young plants. 



Timothy, redtop, orchard grass, meadow fescue, tall oat grass, and 

 Italian rye grass are described as hay grasses; and Kentucky blue 

 grass, Canada blue grass, perennial rye grasses, the bent grasses, and 

 red fescue as pasture grasses; white, red, alsike, and crimson clovers, 

 alfalfa, and sandy vetch are described with, reference to their value for 

 meadows and pastures. A number of mixtures of seeds for meadows 

 and pastures are suggested. 



Farm crops at the experimental farm at Brandon, Manitoba, 

 S. A. Bedford (Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 1896, pp. 321-347, pi, 1). — 

 The experiments conducted include variety tests of wheat, oats, barley, 

 corn, peas, grasses, turnips, mangel-wurzels, carrots, sugar beets, and 

 potatoes. 



Wheat grown on "back-setting" was quite free from rust, even on 

 low ground, and the grain produced weighed from 00 to 02 lbs. per bu., 



