16 



liigli into tho air, so that satisfactory work can be done only 

 when the weather is rehitively calm. The wheelbarrow seed 

 sowers will do somewhat more e^'en and satisfactory work, 

 but these will handle only the relatively small and heavy 

 seeds; the long and chalfy seeds cannot be satisfactorily dis- 

 tributed by the use of these machines. A mixture of tim- 

 othy, red-top and clovers can be sown with a machine of 

 this type in a thoroughly satisfactory manner. 



Manueing Gijass Lands. 



The question of the proper selection and use of manures 

 and fertilizers for grass lands may be best considered under 

 two general heads : first, manuring in preparation for the 

 cro]) ; second, top-dressing. 



Manuring in PrejMration for the Crop. 

 It seems best at the outset under this topic to state as 

 briefly as may be possible some of the facts which seem to 

 be best established as regards the general eftects of manures 

 and fertilizers. Some of these facts are equally important 

 in considering the selection of manures and fertilizers for 

 top-dressing. Our mowings almost always contain two 

 classes of plants, — grasses and clovers. The manurial re- 

 quirements of these two classes of plants are, in one im- 

 portant respect, wholly different. Both grasses and clovers 

 require a considerable amount of nitrogen, clovers more 

 than grasses; but the grasses must take all the nitrogen 

 which they require from the soil, while the clovers, if con- 

 ditions be right, can get most if not all of the nitrogen they 

 require from the air. Whenever land is occupied by two or 

 more species of plants, there is a struggle between the dif- 

 ferent kinds for its possession. Tf we make the conditions 

 fav(»ral)le to clovers and less favoral)le for grasses, the for- 

 mer will predominate. Whether the mowing will produce 

 chiefly grasses or largely clover, depends, then, not alone 

 upon the seed sown, but upon the condition of the soil as 

 regards available nitrogen and available mineral elements of 

 plant food, such as phosphoric acid, potash and lime. If 



