84 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



always be employed. The second system is the common 

 one employed in the sowing of timothy and clover, as well 

 as other mixtures, the " nurse " crop being some small 

 grain. Most commonly the timothy is sown with fall 

 wheat and the clover is broadcasted over the field in early 

 spring as soon as the frost is out of the ground. In the 

 northernmost states and in Canada, the grass seeds are 

 sown with a spring crop of small grain. 



The " nurse crop " system has the advantage of economy 

 of labor. In fertile farm lands, especially in the north, 

 it is as a rule very satisfactory. It needs to be clearly 

 recognized that the grasses succeed not by the help of, 

 but in spite of, the " nurse crop." After the grain is 

 harvested, the slender grass plants which have developed 

 in the shade of the cereal are then subjected to the heat 

 of midsummer, and sometimes to drought as well. This 

 often results in damage to the grass, more serious as a rule 

 to spring-sown than to fall-sown. 



The third system, namely, sowing the grass seed in 

 between the rows of a cultivated crop, is not widely 

 employed. Crimson clover is, however, very commonly 

 sown in corn at the time of the last cultivation, and this 

 same method has been used successfully with red clover, 

 alfalfa and with mixed grasses. It has all the advantages 

 of a small cereal nurse crop without certain disadvantages. 

 The young grass thrives better because it is less crowded 

 and less shaded, and practically no injury can accrue from 

 lodging. In rotation systems, however, it is desirable to 

 follow grass with a cultivated crop, and this is usually 

 corn. For this reason, small grain crops necessarily 

 follow corn, if employed in the rotation, as is usually the 

 case. It is mainly due to the requirements of rotation 

 systems that grasses are so seldom sown in cultivated 

 crops. 



