CHAPTER II 
FORAGE CROPS FOR HAY AND FOR IMPROVING 
THE LAND 
THE principles that underlie the successful 
growth of forage crops: apply quite as well whether 
the crops are used for dry forage or for soiling, 
although the number and kind of crops used for the 
two purposes are not necessarily the same. The 
advantage of a larger use of land for hay crops 
is not determined by the value of the hay crop 
itself. In many cases, the indirect value in soil 
improvement, which is a result of the frequent 
introduction into rotations of hay crops (both of 
grasses and legumes), is quite as great as the 
direct value of the forage. The more complete 
covering of the land with vegetation prevents 
losses that may occur when the fields are continu- 
ously cropped with grain, without intermediate 
cover-crops, or only infrequently cropped with hay, 
besides adding vegetable matter, the only natural 
source of humus. This humus is a result of the 
decay of the vegetable matter introduced by the 
roots and stubble; the humus is especially valu- 
able when it comes from the frequent introduction 
of leguminous crops, thereby increasing the con- 
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