254 FORAGE CROPS. 



And here it ought to be mentioned, that of 

 necessity these divisions are more or less arbitrary. 

 The factor of altitude alone may so affect plant 

 growth as to materially neutralize the value of any 

 attempts that may thus be made to illustrate succes- 

 sion in forage crops. Wind currents also have their 

 influence, and likewise precipitation. 



Succession in Section No. i. — The rainfall in 

 Section No. i is more abundant and timely than in 

 any of the other sections, unless it be in No. 8. The 

 soil is also well adapted to the growth of grasses, 

 hence in this section every reasonable effort should 

 be made by the farmers to utilize grasses as factors 

 in forage. The influences that are so favorable to 

 grass pastures are also favorable to the growth of 

 variety in forage crops, hence the list of these that 

 may be grown in succession is a long one. Promi- 

 nent among these crops are winter rye, blue grass 

 and other grasses, clover, mixed grains, as peas and 

 oats, rape, vetches and cereals, corn and rape, sor- 

 ghum, millet, clover, rape, winter rye and rape, cab- 

 bage and blue grass. These are mentioned in the 

 order in which they are naturally in season for being 

 pastured, but this order may be modified by the time 

 at which they are sown or planted. For cattle, the 

 more valuable of these are grasses and clovers, and 

 next in point of value are mixed grains and sor- 

 ghum. For sheep they are all possessed of much 

 value, but after grass, none are more valuable than 

 rye, sorghum and rape. With the aid of these three, 

 sheep may be carried through any season in good 

 form. For swine, clover and rape are the most 

 valuable, and to these may be added peas and arti- 

 chokes, not enumerated in the list given. 



