CHAPTER II 



FORAGE CROPS FOR HAY AND FOR IMPROVING 



THE LAND 



The principles that underlie the successful 

 growth of forage crops apply quite as well whether 

 the crops are used for dry forage or for soiling, 

 although the number and kind of crops used for the 

 two purposes are not necessarily the same. The 

 advantage of a larger use of land for hay crops 

 is not determined by the value of the hay crop 

 itself. In many cases, the indirect value in soil 

 improvement, which is a result of the frequent 

 introduction into rotations of hay crops (both of 

 grasses and legumes), is quite as great as the 

 .direct value of the forage. The more complete 

 covering of the land with vegetation prevents 

 losses that may occur when the fields are continu- 

 ously cropped with grain, without intermediate 

 cover-crops, or only infrequently cropped with hay, 

 besides adding vegetable matter, the only natural 

 source of humus. This humus is a result of the 

 decay of the vegetable matter introduced by the 

 roots and stubble; the humus is especially valu- 

 able when it comes from the frequent introduction 

 of leguminous crops, thereby increasing the con- 



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