300 



FIELD CROPS 



to timothy or redtop, but will eat brome grass in preference 

 to it. No special care is needed by pastures made up of 

 white clover and Kentucky blue grass. On land to which 



they are adapted, these plants will 

 naturally improve from year to 

 3^ear, as most of the fertility is re- 

 turned to the soil in the manure, 

 and the clover increases the supply 

 of nitrogen. 



386. Care of Lawns. Thorough 

 preparation of the soil and thick 

 seeding are necessarj^ to get im- 

 mediate results in lawns and to 

 keep down weeds. No better lawn 

 can be made in our Northern states 

 than one composed of blue grass 

 and white clover. Frequent chp- 

 ping only serves to improve it. If 

 a good stand is obtained, there 

 will be little trouble from weeds, 

 as there will be no room for them. 

 Lawns should not be clipped too 

 closely or too frequently in hot, 

 dry weather, for the roots are 

 likely to ''burn out" from exposure 

 to the sun. The land should be 

 kept rich by the addition of manure 

 ri,uro ic3.-Panicie of Carada o^ commorclal fortlUzers, as the 

 SlTeafSSad^nrpaSiro^Ken! fertility is rapidly removed in the 

 tuoky blue grass in Figure 101. clippings. The lawu should be 

 allowed to go into the winter with a good growth of grass. 

 387. Harvesting Blue Grass Seed. Most of the seed 

 of Kentucky blue grass is produced in a small area near 

 Lexington. The seed is stripped from the heads by horse 

 machines as soon as the panicles begin to turn yellow, gen- 



