Circular No. i6. July, 1908. 



MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Am HER. ST. 



SEEDING MOWINGS. 

 By William P. Brooks 



The average product of hay to the acre in Massachusetts is 

 reported to be only a little more than one ton. As good farmers are 

 not satisfied with an average yield of less than three tons, it is self- 

 evident that there is much mismanagement, or lack of intelligence in 

 the management of mowings. 



This paper will discuss seeding down to grass or mixed grass and 

 clover. The topics to be especially considered are as follows : 



Preparatory fertilization. 



Time and method of seeding. 



Preparatory tillage. 



Varieties of grass and clover to be used. 



Preparatory Fertilization. 



It is quite unnecessary to state to the average 

 Manure. farmer that a liberal application of manure will bring 

 the soil into good condition to produce profitable 

 crops of hay and wherever sufficient manure is produced on the farm, 

 or can be purchased and laid down upon the farm at a low cost, its 

 use is to be advised. The liberal use of manure in preparing the 

 soil for seeding to mowing will bring it into condition to produce a 

 grade of hay made up principally of such grasses as timothy, red top 

 and orchard grass, while the clovers are present in relatively small 

 proportion. This is because manure supplies an abundance of nitro- 

 gen, which greatly favors the growth of grasses. These accordingly 

 become so rank in their growth that the clovers are to some extent 

 suppressed. While the fact that the free use of manure in preparing 

 land for seeding will bring it into fine condition for the production of 

 heavy yields of hay is well established, it is not as generally known 

 as it should be that profitable hay production on fertilizers alone is 

 possible. Indeed there can be no doubt that in most localities if the 

 plant food must be purchased for the purpose under consideration, 

 money can be more wisely used in buying fertilizers than in buying 

 manure. 



