1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 201 



Question. How deep do you plough the second time ? 



Mr. Walker. I plough just as deep as I can and not 

 disturb the old sod that has been turned over. That is, I 

 plough about four inches or four and a half inches deep on 

 the second ploughing. About one-half of my grass-raising 

 is done on land that is ploughed up, and seeded down 

 immediately. Another portion of it is where I raise oats 

 and corn and so on, and the sod has a chance to lie one year 

 and rot. 



Question. You spoke of using a horse-seeder. What 

 seeder do you use ? 



Mr. Walker. I began with a little whirligig seeder, put- 

 ting the bag around your neck and turning a crank ; but I 

 have got a seeder that goes on the Victor horse-rake. It is 

 about eight feet long. A man gets on the horse-rake and 

 drives across the field back and forth, and if he is careful to 

 follow his tracks he will get the seed on very finely. All 

 you have to do is to drive your horse. 



Question. Can you gauge the quantity? 



Mr. Walker. Yes, sir. 



Question. Is it a machine made purposely to go with 

 that rake? 



Mr. Walker. Yes, but you can put it on any rake as 

 well. The machine costs about ten dollars. 



Mr. Sage. We have heard a little about good grass land. 

 What constitutes good grass land ? 



Mr. Walker. That kind of land that will bear first-rate 

 grass. [Applause.] Up our way — I do not know how it 

 is down here — we want ground that can be kept continually 

 moist in some way; that is fertile; that is rather cool. 

 Now, the market will stand hay at about the rate of two 

 tons and a half to the acre. When you get three tons 

 of hay, the stable keepers rather shake their heads. I 

 think on good grass lands you get of the first cutting two 

 tons and a half, and sometimes three tons to the acre, and 

 then it will dwindle along down, and at the end of your five 

 years, if you have first-rate land, you will get down to one 

 and one-fourth or one and one-third of a ton to the acre. 

 Then it is time to plough it. 



Question. What is the value of hay half timothy and 

 half red-top, compared with all timothy? 



