194 THE SOILS AND CROPS OF THE FAEM. 



different grasses and clovers. They find that the 

 most coinplex herbage occurs on unmanured lands; 

 that potash and phosphoric acid increase the propor- 

 tion of leguminous plants; nitrogen and yard manure 

 increase the proportion o^ grasses proper. The yield 

 of hay was increased more by the use of yard manure 

 and nitrogen than by the use of mineral fertilizers. 



It is evident that if different kinds of fertilizers fa- 

 vor different pasture plants, the character, as well as 

 the quantity of the pasturage, may be affected by the 

 kinds of food fed to the stock which feed upon it. 

 The kinds and purposes for which the stock are used 

 may affect the character of the pasture for a similar 

 reason. 



deeding;. — The usual method of sowing grass seed 

 (using the term in its general and not ibs botanical 

 sense), is to sow with grain crops. Undoubtedly this 

 is good practice for most regions. Usually no crop 

 of hay can be harvested the first year. If sown alone 

 the land is not sufficiently shaded by the grass to pre- 

 vent the growth of weeds, which it is necessary to mow 

 at considerable expense. The crop of hay the suc- 

 ceeding year is no better than if grain had been sown 

 with the crop the preceding year. This is especially 

 true of our leading hay crops, timothy, medium red 

 clover, mammoth red. clover and red top. A crop of 

 grain, also, is obtained at little additional expense. 



In some regions, however, timothy sown alone in 

 fall will produce a fair cropof hay the following sea- 

 son. When sown with wheat, it produces so much 

 hay as ta interfere with the harvesting of the crop, as 

 well as materially reduce the yield of wheat. In such 

 regions the custom is to sow the timothy alone. 



