MANURES ON PERMANENT MEADOWS. 271 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 



MANURES ON PERMANENT MEADOWS AND 

 PASTURES. 



In this country, where labor is comparatively high, and hay 

 often commands a good price, a good, permanent meadow fre- 

 quently affords as much real profit as any other portion of the 

 farm. Now that we have good mowing-machines, tedders, rakes, 

 and loading and unloading apparatus, the labor of hay-making 

 is greatly lessened. The only difficulty is to keep up and increase 

 the annual growth of good grass, 



Numerous experiments on top-dressing meadows are reported 

 from year to year. The results, of course, differ considerably, being 

 influenced by the soil and season. The profit of the practice de- 

 pends very much on the price of hay. In the Eastern States, hay 

 generally commands a higher relative price than grain, and it not 

 unfrequently happens that we can use manure on grass to decided 

 advantage. 



The celebrated experiments of Messrs. Lawes & Gilbert with 

 "Manures on Permanent Meadow-land" were commenced in 1856, 

 and have been continued on the same plots every year since that 

 time. 



" You need not be afraid, Deacon," said I, as the old gentleman 

 commenced to button up his coat, " I am not going into the details 

 of these wonderful experiments ; but I am sure you will be inter- 

 ested in the results of the first six or seven years. 



The following table explains itself: 



