756 Journal of Agricultural Research vol. vi, No. i 9 



tion of the meadow. However, nature works just the other way. 

 Aquatic plants tend to fill up the bogs (see p. 758) ; then come the 

 species of the /. balticus phase. Besides being so much less nutri- 

 tious than the D. caespitosa, the hay of this phase will not average a ton 

 to the acre ; often only half a ton. 



Now compare the man-made natural meadow with the nature-made 

 natural meadow. If the highest type of the former, the Deschamp- 

 sia stage, be taken as the standard, it far excels the natural condition. 

 This is because the latter is usually that mixed type to which the 

 Deschampsia phase tends, perhaps always ultimately reaches. Des- 

 champsia caespitosa may be the most conspicuous plant in a natural 

 meadow, but it rarely, if ever, is truly dominant over any considerable 

 area. It is more likely to contain plants which are either useless or 

 actually harmful and must be regarded as meadow weeds. The yield of 

 the natural meadow is seldom as high to the acre as that of the Des- 

 champsia phase of the artificial. On the other hand, the rush-sedge and 

 Juncus balticus phases often have their counterparts in the natural 

 meadow, so that by producing these the farmer gains nothing more than 

 an increased acreage. So long as the Deschampsia phase can be main- 

 tained, not only a greater quantity but also a better quality of natural 

 meadow hay has been obtained. 



MEADOW HAY VERSUS ALFALFA AND GRAIN 



In the spring of 1914 two tracts on the upland of this ranch, which 

 so largely had been converted to meadow, were sown, one to alfalfa and 

 the other to oats. The land was improperly prepared, and the distribu- 

 tion of water was uneven and poorly regulated. In spite of these obvi- 

 ous drawbacks, the two fields had produced by the end of the season 

 the crops shown in Plate CV. It had been impossible to obtain definite 

 data from the foreman of the ranch, but -the yield of oats probably 

 reached 30 bushels to the acre. Considering the way in which they were 

 grown, this is a good yield. The illustration shows the excellent stand 

 of alfalfa. A field on a neighboring ranch which was partly dry-farmed, 

 there being water only during the fore part of the season, produced be- 

 tween 3 and 4 tons of alfalfa to the acre. If we recall the large number 

 of native legumes the upland supported, we will not be surprised at the 

 success of this legume, a plant notoriously fond of sweet soils rich in lime. 



Plate CV, figure 1 , shows the upland as it usually looks the first season 

 under water, the strong development of Antennaria parvifolia being note- 

 worthy. It is here that Arabis hirsuta flourished and became weedlike. 



It must not be concluded that the artificial raising of natural hay does 

 not pay. There are factors to be reckoned with which have not yet been 

 considered. In the first place, it must be remembered that a natural 

 meadow, once established, is fixed so long as the water supply holds out. 

 On the other hand, alfalfa at this altitude needs reseeding every few 



