FERTILIZING MEADOWS 319 



may be used in order to encourage the growth of 

 the second crop, or aftermath. For this purpose, 

 an application of 150 to 300 pounds of the mixture 

 per acre may be made. Experiments to determine 

 the most useful quantity show that, for the spring 

 top-dressing, as high as 450 pounds of a mixture 

 rich in nitrate, as the one above, will pay better 

 than smaller applications, although in many in- 

 stances, where the areas are large, farmers are 

 not prepared to provide so large an allowance. 

 These top -dressings, as already pointed out, may 

 be either manure or fertilizer, but they should be 

 applied every year, if permanence and good crops 

 are expected; and, while the proportions of the 

 different grasses may change somewhat, experi- 

 ence shows that the yields will be more profitable 

 and will gradually increase, owing to the improved 

 fertility of the land. 



Experiments at the West Virginia Experiment 

 Station show that the use of manure alone, when 

 applied to a soil not highly fertile, caused an 

 increase in yield from less than two tons per 

 acre in the first year to over five tons per acre 

 in the sixth year, and with nitrate of soda alone 

 to about four tons. The average for the six 

 years was four tons and over, for the manure, 

 and three tons and over for the nitrate. "The 

 entire meadow produced hay during the six years 

 of the test to the value of more than thirty-six 



