1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 139 



tion of experiments with fodder corn in previous annual 

 reports. 



The results obtained during past years tend to confirm the 

 opinion held by successful agriculturists, that dry grass lands 

 which are in an exceptional degree inclined to a spontaneous 

 overgrowing by an inferior class of fodder plants and weeds, 

 if at all tit for a more thorough system of cultivation, ought 

 to be turned by the plough and subsequently planted with 

 some hoed crop, to kill off the foul growth and to improve 

 the physical and chemical condition of the soil. These lands 

 prove, in many instances, ultimately a far better investment 

 when used for the raising of other farm crops than grasses. 

 The less the variety of crops raised in succession upon the 

 same lands, the more one-sided is usually the exhausted soil, 

 and the sooner, as a rule, will be noticed a decrease in the 

 annual yield. The introduction of a greater variety of 

 fodder plants enables us to meet better the differences in local 

 conditions of climate and of soil, as well as the special wants 

 of different branches of farm industry. In choosing plants 

 for that purpose, it seems advisable to select crops which 

 would advantageously supplement our leading fodder crop 

 (aside from the products of pastures and meadows), — the 

 fodder corn and corn stover. 



Taking this view of the question, the great and valuable 

 family of leguminous plants, as clovers, vetches, lucerne, 

 serradella, peas, beans, lupines, etc , is, in a particular 

 degree, well qualified for that purpose. They deserve also 

 a decided recommendation in the interest of a wider range, 

 for the introduction of economical systems of rotation, under 

 various conditions of soil and different requirements of 

 markets. Most of these fodder plants have an extensive 

 root system, and for this reason largely draw their plant 

 food from the lower portion of the soil. The amount of 

 stubble and roots they leave behind after the crop has been 

 harvested is exceptionally large, and decidedly improves 

 both the physical and chemical condition of the soil. The 

 lands are consequently better fitted for the production of 

 shallow-growing crops, as grains, etc. Large productions 

 of fodder crops assist in the economical raising of general 

 farm crops ; although the area devoted to cultivation is 



