PASTURES, MEADOWS, AND FORAGE 187 



by adding new seed, harrowing, and by the ap- 

 plication of plant -food, or to mow it for one or 

 two years and then plow and use the land for 

 other crops, are questions which must be an- 

 swered by the condition of the meadow and the 

 character of the rotation. There is one inva- 

 riable rule to be followed, if the meadow fails to 

 return two tons of field-dried hay to the acre, 

 plow it up ; and when the old plants are sub- 

 dued and the soil put in ideal condition, and 

 when the causes which prevented full success with 

 the old meadow are fully considered, cast in the 

 new seed with understanding, trusting that fuller 

 success will be reached. 



36. Permanent meadows 



322. With permanent meadows many new 

 problems are presented. Many fields are of such 

 a character as to preclude a rotation of crops. 

 In such cases the problem is presented of con- 

 tinued liberal production without plowing. Low 

 lands, or those which are wholly or in part over- 

 flowed for brief periods, constitute the larger 

 part of our permanent meadows. These low 

 lands are the home of many natural grasses 

 which do not thrive on the uplands ; and some 

 of the cultivated upland grasses and the clovers 

 are not at their best when grown in wettish 

 soils. 



