124 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



evident. Continued cropping without turning under green 

 crops, or the addition of vegetable matter in the shape of 

 farm manures, soon removes all the humus from the land, 

 and the soil becomes simply so much "dirt," incapable of 

 retaining a sufficient amount of moisture for the growth of 

 the crop. In the same way the air is excluded from circu- 

 lating through the soil ; the soil becomes hard and baked. 

 In this condition the work of the various organisms, bacte- 

 ria and chemical actions, now known to be so helpful, is 

 completely stopped or at least seriously hindered. Know- 

 ing these things, we practice on a part of our land a four or 

 five year rotation. That best suited to our needs is : first 

 year, potatoes ; second year, corn for silage ; third year, oats, 

 or some other grain seeded to grass and clover ; fourth year, 

 and sometimes the fifth year, grass and clover. 



With our land not so suitable for cultivated crops we en- 

 deavor to sow grain and reseed whenever the production 

 diminishes below a certain point. For those fields which 

 are not to be put through one or more cultivated crops I 

 would recommend plowing as soon as the hay crop has been 

 removed, and working aljout once a week with a disc harrow 

 for the rest of that season. This is especially effective when 

 " witch grass " is present. 



3. Careful Selection of Kind and Quality of Seed. 

 There is no class of seeds which is usually of a lower 

 germinating power or carries more foul weeds than do grass 

 seeds. AVith a quantity no larger than 1 or 2 per cent of foul 

 seeds, and if these happen to l)e particularly noxious weeds, 

 many thousands of the seeds may be scattered over the farm, 

 and cause no end of trouble. It is never safe, either, to sow 

 grass seeds without testing their vitality. This can be done 

 by counting out a given number, placing them between 

 moist cloths and putting in a warm place. It is evident 

 that, if only 50 per cent of the seeds will grow, twice as much 

 must be sown to the acre. Poor seeds then may be doul)ly 

 expensive to buy. Each farmer should examine his seeds 

 closely. It is to be earnestly hoped that every State will in 

 the near future provide for the efficient examination and 

 control of farm seeds. The selection of proper kinds and 



