416 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



siblCj witliin the limits of this work^ to discuss in detail 

 the preparation that would best suit all soils and cli- 

 mates in the various states. A clean seed bed, suitable 

 to the needs of the climate, and well supplied with easily 

 accessible fertility is all important. 



Very large yields of grass, composed mainly of tim- 

 othy, redtop and red clover have been obtained by Mr. 

 Geo. M. Clark of Higganum, Conn. He gives very 

 fine and thorough pulverization to the land in summer 

 previous to sowing the seed with a view to securing a 

 clean and moist seed bed; sows large amounts of seed 

 and applies suitable fertilizers liberally at the time of 

 sowing the seed and subsequently. By his method two 

 cuttings per annum have been harvested with a total 

 yield of over 5 to more than 8 tons of hay. In prepar- 

 ing the land, the cutaway and spike harrows are chiefly 

 used with a view to chopping and finely pulverizing the 

 land. 



While this method has proved eminently satisfactory 

 for that part of Connecticut, to uphold the plan, as 

 some writers do, as being that which should be generally 

 followed in laying down permanent meadows would cer- 

 tainly be misleading. To engraft it on the practice of 

 the farmers in certain parts of Kentucky, for instance, 

 where excellent crops of these grasses can be secured 

 for several years, would be encouraging prodigality in 

 labor and waste in applied fertility ; results can be ob- 

 tained in certain parts of Kentucky, by sowing the 

 grasses on clover sod, ploughed and prepared, with only 

 a fractional part of the labor involved in the other case. 

 To spend a similar amount of labor on land to be laid 



