142 FARM GRASSES OF THE CXITED STATES 



sj-stem of crop rotation, and the thorough working of 

 the soil common ia the north of England and in manj'^ 

 parts of this country, Johnson grass would not be a pest, 

 but a valuable adjunct to the list of farm crops. The 

 cUmate of the entire Johnson g^ass area permits at 

 least two crops a 5'ear to be grown on every acre of 

 land. A crop of winter grain, hay, and one or two 

 summer crops of cow- pea hay or sorghum hay can be 

 grown on the worst infested land, with littie or no in- 

 terference from the grass, if the land is thoroughlj- 

 plowed and harrowed before planting each crop. 



Better than all, however, on land adapted to it, and 

 this includes nearly all the worst areas, alfalfa can be 

 sown on Johnson grass land with perfe<S success. To 

 do this the land should be plowed and the rootstocks 

 thoroughly harrowed out earl}' in the fall. If, after 

 this, a good beating rain comes to firm the soil, all the 

 better. Then sow the alfalfa, at the rate of 20 lbs. of 

 seed per acre, early enough in the fall for it to get a 

 good start before cold weather. The next summer 

 cut it promptly evers" time it gets high enough to make 

 a fair crop of hay. This treatment helps the alfalfa 

 and greatly discourages the Johnson grass. As alfalfa 

 makes four or five crops of hay a year in the South 

 (six to nine in some places) , and Johnson grass only 

 three, and as Johnson grass gradually declines in yield 

 anyway, so that it yields very little three or four years 

 after the last plowing, the alfalfa will, in a few jears, 

 be pradlically free from the grass. \Miat little is left 

 adluaUy improves the quality of the alfalfa hay. 



After what has been said above it might seem su- 

 perfluous to speak of the proper management of a 



