16 EXPERIMFAT STATION. [Jan. 



those under oousideratiou will usually be found most profit- 

 able. 



(7) The proportion of clover on those portions of the field 

 receiving nitrate of soda in connection with slag meal and a 

 potash salt is somewhat less than where the slag and potash salt 

 are used alone, but the ])r()duct is still characterized by a libei-al 

 proportion of clovers. 



(8) The product of these fields has exceptionally high nutri- 

 tive value. The hay is made up of a large variety of grasses, 

 principally Kentucky blue grass, sweet vernal and fescues, with 

 considerable orchard grass in some portions of the fields. It 

 contains, as has been i^ointed out, a very large proportion of 

 clover, and it contains also a considerable proportion of a num- 

 ber of different species, some of which have been mentioned, 

 commonly looked upon as weeds. It will be recognized that 

 such a product would not ordinarily sell well in the markets. 

 It is, however, exceptionally palatable to cattle, and it has been 

 uoted again and again that milch cows, when receiving it in 

 connection with liberal grain rations, give a considerably larger 

 yield of milk than when fed on the best of mixed timothy, red 

 to]) and clovers in connection with similar grain rations. This 

 difference seems usually to amount to about 10 per cent, more 

 milk on the product of these ]xn'manent mowings. The superin- 

 tendent of the college farm, who during the past year or two 

 has had some experience in feeding good alfalfa hay to milch 

 coAvs, and who is a close observer, has recently, stated that he 

 believes the product of these old fields to be superior to the best 

 alfalfa hay as a food for milch cows. 



The facts to which attention has just been called lead to the 

 conclusion that where the production of hay for market is the 

 object, such a system of management as is used in these fields 

 is not likely to give satisfactory results, but where hay is to 

 be fed to stock on the farm, especially to cows or sheep, the 

 svstem has much to commend it under certain conditions. 



It is not infrequently the case that certain of the fields of the 

 farm lie at such distances from the farmstead that their use in 

 the production of hoed crops is impracticable. It is out of the 

 question to haul manure to thorn. The conditious nflPecting 



