PASTURES. mi:aim)\v>. am> forage 183 



since the elovors art' h.)>t |»lauts to tli*' ^ra>M'8. 

 They start early ami inot.'ct ilio lat<'r-^owing 

 i^H'asses. Most of the clovers live but from one 

 to three years. Tiie clovers, in common with 

 t)tln'r legumes, contain a large percentage of 

 potential nitrogen (110, 138, 1«J0). The i)asture 

 grasses are nnich l)«»nefited hy a full sn])ply of 

 nitrogen, l»ut they can secure little, if any, fn>m 

 the air, and hence nuist supply their needs as 

 best th«'y can from that found in the soil. It 

 will then lie untl<'rstoo<l how t-ageriy the hungry 

 grasses fceil on the decaying short-lived clovt-rs. 

 It will also l)e understood why clovers are called 

 host ]>lants. 



ol.). The short-liv.d host plants may be per- 

 petuated, and the grasses kept young and vig- 

 orons, by sowing seeds of the clovers and 

 1,'rasses «'very two or three years in early spring, 

 and scarifying the surface with a sharp-toot ln'd 

 harrow, this to be follow«'<l by the roller. The 

 harrowing will not only tear out some of the 

 <uiMM-aiUHnit»Ml grass roots (270) and old plants 

 and rov»'r the sc^mIs, but it will tond to ai'rate the 

 s:u*laco soil and to promote bacinial a<ti\iiy. 

 From tim«» to time, a light dressing of faun 

 mamu'es or of conunercial fertilizers shonM be 

 applie*!, spread evenly, in the fall. 



."{14. An inspection of tlie field should be 

 madti oach spring, in ord«»r that seed may i •• 



