37 



until the grass was used up. The ground was naturally poor and 

 rather over-stocked. The gain per steer per day for each kind of 

 grass as the average of two years' trial was as follows : — 



Pounds. 



Enorlisli rve grass, 78 



Oroliarcl grass, . 

 Tall oat grass, 

 Meadow fescue, . 

 Timothy, . . . . 

 Meadow foxtail, . 

 Kentucky blue grass, . 

 Red top, . . . . 

 Lucerne or alfalfa, 

 ^Mixture of above varieties, 



1.21 

 1.73 

 l.-2o 

 1.42 

 loss. 

 .87 

 .47 

 1.39 

 2.20 



The al'ove kinds included the great producing sorts and the most 

 popular kinds for grazing. The point of chief importance is that 

 the most productive kinds gav? the best results, although they are 

 not classed as the best grazing sorts. Timothy made a good show- 

 ing for a grass that has stood theoretically at the foot in popular 

 opinion as a grazing grass. The mixture for the two years' trial 

 justifies popular views, yet it is seen that a single kind may give 

 good results. I would caution the reader against drawing final 

 conclusions, and especially from assuming that tall oat grass is the 

 best grazing variety. It is, however, a grass that sends up a 

 second crop quickly and vigorously, being a heavy yielder. 



One sowing down for pasturage to remain a few years should 

 not hesitate in using mixtures. My experience with varieties 

 leads me to advise the use of the great j'ielders in the table above, 

 excluding English rye grass, Kentucky blue grass on our granite 

 soils, meadow foxtail unless for moist soils, and alfalfa unless for 

 soils with open subsoils and limestone origin. Red top and Rhode 

 Island bent grass may be included for New England soils, espe- 

 cially if a little moist. In reseeding a rough pasture, to remain 

 permanent for grazing, it is common to use a spiked toothed or a 

 smoothing harrow when the soil is moist in the spring, or in wet 

 times in early fall. Mixtures for such a pasture, or one intended 

 for a few years' use, include white clover and often red clover. Red 

 clover is a biennial, and of course soon dies out. Alsike clover is 

 a ])erennial, and holds well to the soil, standing our winters- well. 



It is common to give tables of the amounts of each kind to be 

 sown per acre and to sow heavily. Whatever the ratio of the mix- 

 ture the proportion will soon vary from the original to adjust itself 

 to environment, soil, fertilization and even to seasons. 



It is common in the western States, or especially in the southern 



