MIXED MEADOWS 197 



tions, not requiring so large an outlay of labor and 

 money. By this method the land from which crops 

 are removed early enough, is plowed in July and 

 thoroughly and frequently tilled until about the 

 middle of August; this frequent tillage destroys 

 many weed seeds, ensures a thorough division of 

 the soil particles, and conduces to the unlocking 

 of plant -food and encouraging the growth and de- 

 velopment of soil bacteria. When the main pur- 

 pose in the use of either of these mixtures of 

 grasses and clovers is to secure hay, and to have 

 the land remain in permanent meadow, the use 

 of yard manures immediately before seeding is 

 not generally desirable, owing to the danger of 

 adding weed seed, although the thickness of the 

 seeding of grasses and the treatment of the fields 

 in respect to top - dressing will overcome this 

 danger to some extent. 



When it is found desirable to re -seed, it is not 

 necessary that the sod be planted with other crops, 

 but it may be at once re- seeded with the grasses, 

 provided it is plowed immediately after the first 

 cutting has been removed, and thoroughly tilled in 

 the months of July and early August. This prac- 

 tice will permit a continuous growth of a crop that 

 is suitable for green forage, although grown pri- 

 marily for pasture and for hay. 



The quantity of seed required will depend to 

 some extent on the character of the land and its 



