372 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



Kentucky bluegrass and white clover have been gradually introduced, 

 and are becoming well established in the eastern and northeastern 

 portions of the state; and, in fact, Kentucky bluegrass is about the 

 only variety of domestic grass which is well suited for permanent 

 pasture, and it must be associated with white clover in order that it 

 may continue to thrive and make productive pasture continually for a 

 number of years. Perhaps meadow fescue, commonly known in 

 Kansas as English bluegrass, comes as near being a permanent 

 meadow grass as any variety of domestic grass grown in this state ; 

 yet as a rule it is much more profitable to seecl new fields every 

 four to six years, and break up the old meadows, planting the land 

 to corn or other crops for a few years before re-seeding to grass. 

 As a rule, I do not advocate keeping the same land continuously 

 in any kind of grass, either for meadow or pasture, provided the 

 land can be used for other crops, and new seeding of grass can be 

 secured without too much expense or difficulty. 



Covering land ^th grass is nature's way of restoring to old 

 worn-out soils the fertility and good tilth characteristic of good 

 soils. The true grasses do not add nitrogen to the soil, as do 

 clover and alfalfa, yet they are in a sense nitrogen-gatherers in that 

 the nitrogen of the soil is collected and stored up in the soil in the 

 form of humus. Thus grasses prevent the wasting of nitrogen and 

 other plant food elements and serve to protect the soil and maintain 

 its fertility. By their extensive and deep penetrating root systems, 

 many grasses also tend to break up and deepen the soil, gathering 

 and storing plant food in their roots, and thus actually increasing 

 the humus and available plant food of the soil. The perfect tilth 

 and freedom from clods so characteristic of virgin soils, is always 

 more or less completely restored whenever soil has been seeded 

 down to grass for a sufficient length of time. Grasses and legumes 

 maintain the supply of soil nitrogen and restore the proper soil 

 texture ; besides they are profitable crops and, in fact, are absolutely 

 necessary on every farm on which stock is kept. Pasture must 

 be had on every farm, and it is quite essential that it be made a part 

 of the regular crop rotation. Much more grass can be produced 

 when pastures are kept fresh and new, and the increase of fertility 

 and improvement of soil texture result in larger crops of corn 

 and grain when the pasture is broken up and planted to these 

 crops. 



There, is still much native grassland in Kansas, and if permanent 



