MIXTURE FOR GRAVELLY SOILS. 289 



But, after all, it is as serious a mistake to mix early 

 and late grasses together indiscriminately, as to confine 

 our selection to one or two kinds. It is well settled, 

 both practically and scientifically, that the highest 

 nutritive value of the grasses is reached at the period 

 of blossoming, and that, to obtain the best results and 

 to make the most valuable hay, it ought to be cut and 

 cured at that time. If allowed to stand beyond that 

 stage it becomes more or less woody and innutritions, 

 and, of course, less palatable and less digestible. 



It is easy to see that if a considerable portion of the 

 grass in a field blossoms in advance of the rest, as will 

 be the case if early and late grasses are mixed together, 

 all that portion will be too mature and comparatively 

 worthless when the balance of the field comes into 

 condition. It is the source of serious loss. 



The early grasses ought to be kept by themselves, 

 and the late ones by themselves ; that is, the mixtures 

 ought to be made so as to bring the period of blossom- 

 ing of most of the plants at the same time. There is a 

 further and great economy in this, in that it spreads 

 the work over a longer season. It avoids the hurry 

 otherwise incident to this busy time. The haying 

 can begin on the early grasses by the middle of June, 

 or even earlier, while with the late grasses it can safely 

 be delayed till the first of July. To contribute some- 

 thing to promote this great improvement, we suggest 

 the following : 



Early Grass Mixture. (~For One Acre.) 



Orchard grass . . ' 6 Ibs. = i bushel. 

 Tall meadow oat grass . . 6 Ibs. = 1 bushel, nearly 

 Perennial rye grass . ... 6 Ibs. = J bushel. 

 June (or Kentucky blue) grass . 4 Ibs. = J bushel. 

 Meadow fescue grass . . .7 Ibs. = i bushel. 

 Red clover 5 Ibs. 



