No. 4.] GEASS AND CLOVEK. 129 



the weather is favorable we cut in the morning, shake it out 

 with a liay tedder l)eforc and sometimes again after noon, 

 rake into windrows, and sometimes haul to the barn that 

 same afternoon, or at any rate the next day. We get it 

 into windrows or into the hay cock as soon as possible, in 

 order to preserve the color and not allow it to get brown. 

 By twisting a wisp tightly in the hands it can easily be 

 ascertained when the hay is in proper condition to haul to 

 the barn. 



This leaving of the grass to ripen before cutting, as is so 

 often done, has a direct relationship to the permanent life of 

 the grass crop. The greatest efibrt a plant puts forth is to 

 produce seeds or fruit, and thereby reproduce itself. When 

 a grass plant produces seeds, its life is ended. Nature's way 

 is for the seeds to scatter around the parent plant, and repro- 

 duce it many fold ; but man conies in and cuts this grass just 

 in the seeding stage, and carries the seeds away ; the plant 

 is dead, and noxious weeds steal in to take its place. If, on 

 the other hand, that hay crop had been cut just in the bloom- 

 ing stage, the roots, not having produced seeds, would try 

 once more, and if given proper fertilizers will produce an- 

 other strong plant ; hence permanent grass lands are main- 

 tained for several years. 



Hay cut at this time, cured in this way and properly 

 housed, will come out bright, succulent, free from dust, will 

 sell at a much higher price, and is relished by all kinds of 

 stock. 



These are some of the things Ave try to follow in grass 

 production. Now, turning to that other and it seems to me 

 much more important class of crops, namely, the clovers and 

 alfalfa, used largely as hay, I will try and enumerate briefly 

 some of the things we do, and our reasons, in the produc- 

 tion of this class of crops. 



There are two very good reasons Avhy every farmer, and 

 especially those engaged in the dairy business, should grow 

 clover. For ages it has been knoAvn that the growing of 

 clover had a very rejuvenating effect on the soil. Since it 

 has become definitely known that certain bacteria have the 

 power of taking nitrogen from the air and storing it u}) in 



