66 



manent pastures. It is not advisable to use more, firstly as it is 

 a very fine-grained seed producing numerous plants, and secondly 

 because, if in suitable, especially lighter drier soils, it tends to 

 spread fairly fast its subterraneously creeping roots, moving in 

 every direction and shooting forth upwards several new stalks,, 

 covering very soon a larger portion of the meadow than might be 

 considered advisable. 



If in the field in a good proportion and if this field should be 

 destined for hay-making, the farmer should see it mown rather 

 early to prevent the stalks from becoming too hard. It may, 

 however, be stated here, that there is no great fear for that, the 

 Yarrow being a plant flowering an exceedingly long time and 

 maturing rather late indeed, so that in most cases a farmer will, 

 even without this hint before him, have mown his field before the 

 time when this plant is about to loose its tenderness. 



Anthyllis vulneraria (Kidney Vetch). A good fodder for poor 

 sandy soils there where either Red- or White Clover won't 

 do. It is since the last century only, that greater attention has 

 been paid to this variety, and though no experienced farmer would 

 use it on good soil where the better varieties of clover do thrive, it 

 is an excellent plant for the poorer regions. As it is a biennial 

 the plant will die out after a couple of years, except in such cases 

 where it ripens and drops some of its seeds. Though like every 

 plant it is grateful for a certain quantity of manure, yet it does 

 not require much that way; for as it makes rather deep roots, it 

 extracts the necessary nutrition from the depths. It can stand both 

 a long period of drought and cold sharp winters very well indeed. 

 It is a middle-timed plant, supplying a good nutritive fodder between 

 the first and second cut of Red- and Alfalfa Clover. It 

 gives, as a rule, one cut only after which it thrives again, but not 

 to such an extent as to allow a second cut to be taken. Only if 

 mown quite early, the plants will shoot forth sufficiently high 

 again for such a purpose. But it is more advisable to mow it 

 somewhat later and have one cut only taken, and have whatever 

 springs up again grazed off by either sheep or cattle, or let it 

 grow up and have it ploughed under as green manure, if the field 

 is to lie no longer as such. It is an excellent thing for the latter 

 purpose, as more than any other plant the Kidney Vetch 

 leaves a large quantity of roots, etc in the soil which, when rotted, 

 are a splendid manure. 



