432 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



manuring^ and the influence which these exercise on 

 production will make pasturing meadows admissible 

 under some conditions, where under other conditions, 

 it would not be at all admissible. 



Fertilizing and Renewing. The question of fertiliz- 

 ing permanent meadows has, in most instances, a close 

 relation to their productiveness. Some of these, as al- 

 falfa meadows for instance, will, in certain locations, 

 produce well for many years without any applied fer- 

 tilizers. The plants are, in a sense, the scavengers of 

 the fertility they require from the soil and air. When 

 these fail, they usually fail because other grasses or 

 weeds come in and crowd the plants. Again, other 

 plants that cannot obtain nitrogen from the air will 

 grow for many years and produce abundantly without 

 applied fertilizers ; such are certain grasses grown on 

 tide lands. Yet again, the same plants, grown under 

 other conditions, would not produce hay crops vigorously 

 for two years in succession without being dressed with 

 fertilizer. 



If farmyard manure is applied, it should be in a well 

 reduced form and is preferably applied in the autumn 

 and should be evenly spread. Fresh manure would be 

 objectionable because of the weed seeds in it and be- 

 cause of the extent to which the unreduced portions 

 would rake up in the hay. 



Commercial fertilizers are peculiarly suitable for ap- 

 plying on permanent meadows from year to year. On 

 these, there is a place in one locality or another for the 

 application of nearly every kind of useful commercial 

 fertilizer brought ..into the market. But which should 



