GRASS SODS 



a good hay crop for a cereal that brings small net 

 income is an item of value, adding to the propor- 

 tion of feeding-stuff produced in the rotation and 

 to the resulting supply of manure. The practice 

 of making seedings to grass and clover alone is 

 growing, and it is based on sound reasoning. 



Crops that may Precede. Farms that are 

 under common crop-rotations may adopt the 

 practice of August seeding. The winter wheat 

 comes off in time for preparation, and this is true 

 of an early variety of oats, and of rye and barley. 

 Early crops of vegetables get out of the way 

 nicely. There is a vast total area of thin soil 

 that may be brought up to a productive stage 

 rapidly by the growth of a green-manuring crop 

 to precede the grass and clover. Rye may be 

 sown in the fall and plowed down in May, and 

 cowpeas planted to be disked into the soil. Oats 

 and Canada peas add organic matter with nitrogen 

 when plowed down. The summer fallow, which 

 deservedly has fallen into general disuse, may 

 well be employed when a soil is in an inert state, 

 provided grass and clover be permitted to ap- 

 propriate the plant-food made soluble by the fal- 

 lowing. The catch crops add organic matter 

 while cleansing the land of weeds ; the fallowing 

 o [81] 



