166 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



same kinds of soils and fertilizers. Fertilizers contain- 

 ing nitrogen often improve crops of grass. Grass crops 

 are often grown immediately succeeding crops of wheat 

 or oats. The soil is or should be already well prepared 

 for the wheat or oats, and the dense growth of these 

 crops checks the growth of weeds, leaving the soil in 

 good condition for grass. 



Grass that is mown for hay should not be exposed 

 to the sun for days after being cut. The object in 

 curing hay is merely to remove a part of the water 

 contained in the fresh grass. This is accomplished 

 by a few hours' exposure- to the sun. The hay should 

 then be put into small heaps called cocks; after stand- 

 ing in them for a short time the hay should be stored 

 away in barns or stacks. It is a great mistake to allow 

 cut hay to lie on the ground for days, or even to allow 

 it to remain for any length of time in cocks. Through 

 the action of the sun and weather the quality of the 

 hay is much injured. The grass after being cut dries 

 out very fast, and the entire process of curing and 

 storing hay should not exceed two days. 



Grasses should generally be cut for hay when in full 

 bloom or just passing out of bloom, as at this time the 

 protein and carbohydrates are more uniformly dis- 

 tributed throughout the plant. 



157. Hay of Legumes. — Of the plants belonging to 

 the legumes, there are a number that may be used for 

 hay. There are several kinds of clover, a number of 

 kinds of field peas or beans, some of which are known 

 under the name of cowpea. Then there is another kind 

 of pea called vetch, and a plant of the same order 



