360 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. TPub. Doc. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF MOWINGS. 



BY PROF. WM. P. HUOOKS, PROFESSOR OF A(iRICI LTURE, MASSACHU- 

 SETTS AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



The paper on " The hay crop in Massachusetts," prepared 

 for the May Crop Report in 1904, treated the subject in a 

 general but at the same time in a fairly comprehensive way. 

 The writer is now asked to present a second paper on the 

 same topic, and to go into greater detail concerning certain 

 branches of the subject. Owing to the general nature of the 

 first paper, there will almost of necessity be some repetitions 

 of matter therein contained in this ; but the writer trusts this 

 will be pardoned, as such repetitions as will be made seem 

 necessary in order to make this paper fairly complete in 

 itself. 



The Varieties of Grasses and Clovers. 



There are but few of the species of grasses Avhich have 

 been recommended for cultivation which are well known to 

 our farmers ; and it shall be the first ol)ject of this paper to 

 give in condensed form such information affecting the value 

 for practical purposes of the different species as seems likely 

 to prove most useful in the direction of enabling readers to 

 select varietic^s suited to conditions. 



All the different common varieties of grasses may be tirst 

 divided into two great classes, which may be called respec- 

 tively sod-formers and non-sod-formers. The sod-forming 

 grasses are all capable of constant renewal by the formation 

 of new plants between the i)lants first established. In the 

 case of most of the sod-formers which will be spoken of, this 

 multipli(!ation of the plant is accomplished through tlic 

 airencv of an undcru^round stem, similar to the well-known 

 pointed, white and jointed underground stem of witch grass, 



