THE GRASS QUESTION. 201 



tion to do so, its owner should not rest till, with clover, 

 corn, rye and other green manures, he has brought up 

 his farm to that desirable condition. 



The American farmer need have little fear of over- 

 production of wool, as the annual consumption in the 

 United States amounts to 600,000,000 pounds of un- 

 washed wool, which may he estimated as the clip from 

 100,000,000 sheep. The Census Bureau of 1890 gives 

 the total number of sheep in the United States x as 

 43,000,000, of a value of $116,000,000, and cutting 290,- 

 000,000 pounds of unwashed wool. 



In connection with the extension of grass culture 

 on poor lands, much may be said in favor of green 

 manuring as a preparation of lands, to sustain a crop of 

 grass. For example, it often occurs that thin soils, 

 which, without the expensive stimulus of commercial 

 fertilizers, will not develop a fair sod of the standard 

 perennial grasses, will yet grow a passable spring crop 

 of broadcasted corn to a height of two or three feet. 

 This plowed down before midsummer, and the field 

 again immediately broadcasted with a second sowing of 

 corn, to be plowed down in autumn, and followed by a 

 broadcasted crop of rye, to be plowed down in February 

 or March, will be found to have a marvellous fertilizing 

 effect in sustaining grass, or any other crop. The man 

 who pursues such a course of rejuvenation of his land 

 should have his taxes remitted, .for he is a good example 

 in any locality, and should be encouraged. The corn 

 and rye system of green manuring supersedes the slow 

 process of clover renovation. Cultivated grasses of bien- 

 nial habit are, few of them, after being down for several 

 years, entirely able to take care of themselves, but must 

 be assisted by harrowing and seeding on bare spots, top 

 dressing with fertilizer, and rolling. Worn-out pastures 

 can be renovated, to a marked degree, by the application 

 of bone phosphates, dried fish, meat and blood, and the 



