(78) 



sowing, the field is put in turnips. During the winter, by means of 

 hurdles, a flock of sheep is confined to a portion of the field, and 

 they are not allowed to leave until every vestige of the turnips is 

 exhausted. By this time the ground will be black with their drop- 

 pings. In this manner the whole field, acre by acre, is gone over, 

 and the ground has a fine covering of manure. We will suppose 

 this consumes the winter. In the spring break up, or to break up 

 just as soon as the sheep are removed is better, and sow with peas. 

 When this crop is in full bearing let on both hogs and sheep, and 

 it will amply repay all its preparation by the manner in which the 

 stock will thrive, and they will again bestow on it a covering of 

 fine manure. Now the ground is well manured and fully capable 

 of giving, in return for the care bestowed, a bountiful crop the first 

 year. Of course it must be again broken and pulverized as before 

 mentioned. This not only pays better than letting it lie in fallow, 

 but it keeps down weeds. When ground is fallosved, there will be 

 generally an interval of neglect, and the weeds, ever watchful for a 

 chance, will spring up, mature their seeds and sow them, to the 

 trouble and vexation of the farmer afterward. 



SELECTION OF SUITABLE SEEDS AND BEST METHOD OF MIXING 

 THEM. 



Whatever the character of the soil to be converted into a meadow, 

 a suitable grass will be found in our list. There are grasses for 

 rocky land, sandy land, bottom land, upland, or calcareous land, 

 and we cannot do better than to refer the reader to the large list 

 from which to select, as the kind of land to which they are adapted 

 is clearly shown in each descriptive article. 



It is well known to every farmer that some grasses will not 

 thrive on certain characters of soil. What grasses to sow must be 

 left to the judgment of the farmer, as only an extended experience 

 will be able to show under every circumstance the peculiarities of 

 the land to be sown. Under certain conditions, too, it may be pref- 

 rable to put the land down in clover, whatever kind of soil it may 

 be; especially is this the case where the land, from long cultivation, 

 is not in good heart. It must be remembered that, if a field has, 

 by long continued cultivation, without rotation, been so reduced in 

 fertility that it will not produce remunerative crops, it will not pro- 

 duce any kind of grass in paying quantities, until some of its vital^ 



