1892.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 209 



7. Experiments with Grass Land (Meadows). 



The permanent grass lands are by their location arranged 

 into two divisions, west and east of a public highway. 

 They cover at present a space of sixteen to seventeen acres. 



The west side division consists of old meadows, kept for 

 over twenty years in grass. The area has for years been 

 steadily reduced in size by turning, as circumstances ad- 

 vised, more or less at a time into plats for field experiments. 

 In their present condition they surround our main field for 

 experimental purposes. They are in part underdrained, 

 and are kept, by a moderate annual top-dressing with barn- 

 yard manure, in a fair state of production, considering the 

 condition of the sod. The area comprises to-day approxi- 

 mately rot more than seven acres. Thirteen tons of hay, 

 first cut, and two and three-quarters tons of rowen, hay of 

 second cut, was the yield in 1891. 



The east side division of meadows comprises an area of 

 about 9.6 acres. The entire field to 1886 consisted of old, 

 worn-out grass lands, overrun with a worthless growth on 

 its more elevated portion, and covered with weeds and 

 sedges in its lower section. The improvement of the land 

 by underdraining and ploughing, and subsequently by the 

 use of a system of drill culture, began in some parts (north 

 end) in 1886, and in others (south end) in 1887. For the 

 details of this work, as well as of the subsequent seeding 

 down into permanent grass land, I have to refer to preceding 

 annual reports. 



It will suffice, for the appreciation of the present yield of 

 these new meadows, to call attention once more to the 

 following circumstances. 



1886. — As soon as the drain tiles were covered and the 

 ditches as far as practicable levelled, the entire area was 

 ploughed, and the main depressions filled up with stones and 

 earth, or earth, as circumstances advised, and left in that 

 condition over winter. 



1887. — The succeeding spring a wheel harrow was used 

 to break up the rotten sod. The soil was subsequently 



