BULLETIN No. 134. MAY 1910. 



MASSACHUSETTS 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT 



STATION. 



The Hay Crop, 



BY 



WILLIAM P. BROOKS, 



This bulletin, a reprint of a portion of Bulletin No. 3 of the 

 Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture, is published through 

 the courtesy of the Hon. J. Lewis Ellsworth, the secretary of the 

 Board. It contains three papers written originally for the Crop 

 Reports of the Board, and now reissued by it in bulletin form. 

 The subjects treated are, " The Hay Crop," " The Management of 

 Mowings," and " Clovers." The first paper discusses the position 

 and importance of the hay crop in Massachusetts, and shows that 

 average yields are far below what they should be. It presents 

 the results of numerous experiments and makes suggestions as 

 to methods of seeding and the use of manures and fertiUzers, 

 both in preparation for the crop and for top-dressing. The second 

 paper discusses the value of the different more important species 

 of grasses and clovers, and gives mixtures adapted to different 

 soils and purposes. It considers fertiUzers in their relations to 

 these crops, and gives advice as to reseeding, general manage- 

 ment and the suppression of the more important weeds common 

 in mowings. The third paper points out the reasons for the great 

 value of clovers on the farm, describes the leading agricultural 

 varieties, and tells how to grow them most successfully and 

 profitably. 



Requests for bulletins should be addressed to 



Agricultural Experiment Station, 



Amherst, Mass. 



