PERMANENT MEADOWS 269 



following 5rear, the aftermath should not be pastured . too 

 closely. The second crop of clover is often cut for seed, 

 because conditions are more generally favorable for seed 

 production then than earlier in the season. If the m-eadow 

 is to be broken up and put into some other crop the follow- 

 ing year, the aftermath may often be used to best advantage 

 b}^ turning it under in the fall to add vegetable matter to the 

 soil. Pasturing the meadow in the fall and then turning 

 under the sod makes a double use of the fall growth, for 

 much of the fertility is returned to the land in the manure, 

 but the quantity of vegetable matter is slightly reduced. 



345. Pennanent Meadows and Their Improvement. 

 The short-term rotation is in such general use in this country 

 that little attention has been given to the formation! of per- 

 manent meadows, and there is considerable question whether 

 they are generally desirable. On lands which are too wet 

 for cultivation, permanent meadows may often be estab- 

 lished advantageously, but elsewhere, with the exception 

 of alfalfa meadows, two years is about the longest time for 

 which maximum yields can be expected. Insect pests and 

 plant diseases can be* combated much more effectively in 

 a short rotation than in one in which any one crop occupies 

 the land for a considerable period, and, as these troubles 

 are generally present, they furnish strong reasons against the 

 maintenance of permanent meadows. Where it is desirable 

 to maintain a field in meadow for a number of years, special 

 care should be given to the selection of long-lived grasses. 

 Disking or harrowing every^ second or third year to prevent 

 the field from becoming "sodbound," applying well-rotted 

 manure, and reseeding the bare or thin spots, will result in 

 profitable yields. 



346. Place in the Rotation. The hay crop usually fol- 

 lows a small grain and precedes a cultivated crop. A com- 

 mon rotation in the Central states consists of two years of 

 corn, one of oats, and one or two of grass. The meadow 



