GRASSES. 1163 



brown, but while most of them are green. In the swath, unless 

 very heavy, it, ought not to be stirred open, but be allowed to wilt 

 on the top. It may then be carefully turned over ; and when thus 

 partially cured, place on light, slender cocks, and let it remain until 

 sufficiently dry to remove into the barn. 



Japan Clover, recently introduced from Japan, . is especially 

 adapted to the Southern States, no^ growing well above 36° lat., 

 but growing with great luxuriance on the poorest soils, and retain- 

 ing vitality in its roots in the severest droughts. It is a fine graz- 

 ing plant, and needs rto resowing and but little attention on soils 

 unfit for anything else. It furnishes good pasture. 



Mexican Clover is becoming extensively grown in some parts of 

 the South, and is good for green soiling and as a fertilizer. On thin 

 pine lands it grows from six to eight feet branches, and spreads in 

 every direction, forming a thick mat' and shade to the earth. It 

 makes a sweet, pleasant-flavored hay, which horses and cattle relish. 



In addition to the kinds which have been named, there are' 

 many others which are of different degrees of value. There are 

 marsh grasses, which grow only in very wet soils ; prairie grasses, 

 which grow wild at the West ; and several native grasses which 

 appear at the South. As a rule, the native grasses are of inferior 

 quality,, and should be superseded by the finer cultivated varieties. 

 It never pays to grow a poor kind of grass where a much better 

 one can easily be produced. 



When grass seed is used alone, it may be sown either in spring 

 or late in summer. As far as the grass is concerned, the former may 

 be considered the best time, as it gives the plants a longer period in 

 which to develop before they are cut, and enables them to obtain a 

 stronger hold upon life. But this requires the use of the land two 

 seasons in order to obtain the crop which should be produced in 

 one. On. this account, later seeding, which permits the removal of 

 a crop t!he first year, is usually preferred. The best time for this 

 work is during the month of August at the North and September 

 farther ; South. Sod land is often turned over for reseeding. The 

 land should be plowed to a medium depth, a fair coating of manure 

 should be spread, upon the plowed surface, or guano or grass fertili- 

 zer should be sown broadcast upon it, and a wheel-harrow or some 

 other good pulverizer should be used until the surface soil is made 

 fine. The seed may then be sown, covered with a bush-harrow, 

 and the land thoroughly rolled. As a rule, to which the culture of 

 timothy is the prominent exception, it is much better to mix several 

 kinds of grass seed than it is to sow any one of them alone. 



