GRASSES. 



1143 



my experience I have found that if sown early in September, the timothy geta so 

 good a start that the tramping of the cattle does not injure it: 



" From forty years' experience in sowing clover, I am convinced that on clay 

 upland the safe rule is to sow early, and by early I mean any time after the middle 

 of February, or before the middle of March, according to the season. What I want 

 is to sow on a bright clear morning, with the ground bare and frozen and a certainty 



of a thaw before midday, so as to make the surface 

 sloppy and stick the seed fast, and so we may reasonably 

 expect succeeding- freezes and thaws to cover it. If 

 sown on the snow or on bare, unfrozen land, a heavy 

 rain may wash it into bunches, or carry much of it off 

 of the land entirely ; and if sown as late as April, it may 

 sprout on the surface', and then be killed by the sun. 

 If one has a dry, mellow, or sandy soil, so that he can 

 harrow it mellow, later seeding is safe ; but our clay up- 

 land can seldom be harrowedCbefore the wheat is too 

 large." 



Timothy. — This is considered by far the 

 best grass for hay which can be produced. 

 It flourishes .throughout the North and on 

 the drained lowlands of the South. It is very 

 productive and highly nutritious. It usually 

 needs reseeding in from three to six years. 

 It does not do its best in a wet soil or on 

 very dry and sandy land. Still, fair crops are 

 often grown on* very moist land, and ^lsb on 

 grayel knolls. It ripens rather late, and on 

 this account does not yield much aftermath. 

 As a pasture grass it is very good. At the. 

 North it is often grown with clover for ^hay ; 

 but as the two plants do not ripen at the 

 same time, one of them must be used at, a 

 disadvantage.. It makes splendid hay when 

 grown alone, and can be profitably cultivated 

 in this way. Redtop is sometimes grown 

 with it. This mixture is a decided disadvan- 

 tage as far as the hay is concerned, but it 

 makes a more permanent crop for moist land 

 Timothy should be cut when in blossom. It 

 will increase in weight if it is allowed to ripen, and horses will eat it 

 well in this state ; but when mature, it is rather top hard and woody 

 for cows. If used alone, from twelve to twenty-four, quarts of seed . 

 per acre should be sown. 



Tie. 12. — Common Millet. 



than timothy alone,. 



