CLOVER BLUE GRASS. 131 



not be forgotten that we are seeding once for twenty or thirty years 

 or even more, if the soil is suitable for a permanent meadow. 



CLOVER. 



The culture of clover as a special crop is often found desirable both 

 for hay, for seed and for plowing in as a preparation for wheat or 

 corn. When thus grown it is sown on the wheat or rye in the spring 

 as soon as the ground is in a fit condition, and may be harrowed in 

 with the light sloping tooth harrow or the brush harrow, which not only 

 covers in the seed but also greatly benefits the grain crop. The 

 clover may be pastured in the fall if it has a rank growth, but other- 

 wise it should be left on the ground and form a mulch during the 

 winter. The next year it may be cut early for soiling or mown for 

 hay in June; the after-growth will furnish a crop of seed and the 

 next spring the sod with all the herbage may be plowed in for corn. 

 A clover sod makes an excellent preparation for wheat. For this 

 purpose the clover is plowed under in August; the ground is im- 

 mediately rolled to compact it and in September a good harrowing 

 will fit the soil finely for the wheat or rye. The clover hay is es- 

 pecially valuable for cows or sheep, but should never be fed to horses 

 on account of its dustiness, which is provocative of the common dis- 

 order known as heaves. It requires slow curing in the cock, and 

 should not be too rapidly or too much dried, or the leaves will be in 

 great part broken off and lost. 



BLUE GRASS. 



The Blue Grass pastures of Kentucky, Missouri, West Virginia and 

 parts of Ohio and Indiana, have a world-wide reputation. They offer 

 examples of permanent grass lands equal to any in the world, which 

 are a standing rebuke to those persons who declare that there can be no 

 permanent pastures or meadows in our American climate. There 

 are thousands of acres of these lands which have never been plowed, 

 but which became covered with a natural growth of this grass as 

 soon as the timber was cut off. As it has a spreading root, it soon 

 takes possession of the soil and makes a thick sod. It is especially a 

 pasture grass, and under the name of June Grass furnishes the pas- 

 ture which makes such localities as Herkimer and Oneida Counties in 

 New York so favorable for dairy purposes, and so productive of 

 Mgh flavored cheese and butter. The State of Iowa also affords 



