CHAPTER III 



IMPKOVED STRAINS OP GRASSES, SELECTED BY COM- 

 PARATIVE CULTIVATION AT THE EXPERIMENTAL 

 STATIONS OF THE STATE 



THE cultivation of roots was neglected in Denmark as late as 

 the middle of last century. Fields were left fallow instead of 

 being used for root crops, and the root crops grown were very 

 indifferent, a result partly due to bad seed and partly to in- 

 different methods of cultivation. The cultivation of grass 

 fields was similarly neglected. Grass in rotation played then, 

 as it still does, a very important part in the economy of the 

 farm, inasmuch as about one-third of the arable land is sown 

 with grass in rotation. But the crops raised were very poor. 

 Fields were left in grass for three or four years, and little 

 attention was paid to the quality of seed sown or to mixtures 

 of seed of various kinds best suited to produce a good crop for 

 one or more years. In 1875 E. M011er Hoist caused a large 

 number of samples of grass seed, as used by Danish farmers, 

 to be collected from all over the country, which he analysed 

 and found to be of very poor quality. On one-third of their 

 arable land Danish farmers produced but scanty crops. As 

 they had nothing else to offer their cattle in the spring, these 

 were turned out early on to the poor grass fields, and but little 

 hay was saved for the winter fodder. 



The work of one man wrought a great change and improve- 

 ment in this branch of agriculture. P. Nielsen was born in 1829, 

 the son of an agricultural labourer in Slesvig. Ten years old 

 he had to go into service, but his thirst for knowledge was so 

 strong that he, when twenty-six years old, borrowed the 

 necessary means to enable him to attend a school. Two years 

 later he became a teacher under an admirable principal, and 

 later on was appointed schoolmaster at 0rslev, near Skjelsk0r, 



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