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ity has been restored. If a farmer fattens stock from the produce 

 of his own farm, it follows that whatever goes to produce bone, 

 muscle and blood, is so much substance taken from the soil, and 

 restitution is demanded. 



When the earth is covered with grasses, and they are plowed 

 under, and converted into vegetable mould, not only docs the land 

 receive what has been taken from it, but there is added a vast 

 amount of substances extracted from the atmosphere, such as car- 

 bon, ammonia, nitrogen and oxygen, and in that way the land is 

 constantly improved. It is in this way that nature renews herself, 

 and a piece of land left to her care, will, after the lapse of a few 

 years, regain its fertility. But the necessities of man are such he 

 cannot await this slow process, and therefore, it is that he must, 

 to bring about the same result sooner, resort to the expedient of 

 plowing in green crops. Various kinds of green manuring crops 

 are used for this purpose. In the selection of a crop to plow 

 under, one thing should be kept prominently in view, and that is, 

 select such crops as derive their nourishment in great part from the 

 air. It has been demonstrated by many experiments that the 

 legumins do this more effectually than any other class. Among 

 these none are so effectual as the different kinds of clover. They 

 not only enrich the land by the great mass of foliage and stems, but 

 also, by their mechanical displacement of the sail, loosen and pul- 

 verize it. Next to the clovers are peas. They, it is true, do not 

 have the same extensive system of roots, but, if possible, they grow 

 and exist more from atmospheric influences than any other plant. 



After the selection of the kinds of grass to be sown, the next con- 

 sideration is to select good seed. How often has it occurred to 

 every farmer to see the result of all his toil and expense culminate 

 in failure for want of good seed ! It does not always occur to the 

 sower that his seeds are defective through age, or through mixing 

 noxious seeds with the grass seeds. The high price that seeds com- 

 mand is a great temptation to the dishonest dealer. Sometimes it 

 happens that good seeds are kept until they have lost their power 

 of germinating. It is better to save seed from the farm if possible. 

 It involves but little care to do so, and is an actual saving to the 

 farmer, and then he knows what he is sowing. Should it be neces- 

 sary, however, to buy seeds, always delay a few days to test them. 

 This is easily done by placing a certain ascertained number on a 



