ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN's ASSOCIATION. 23 



all be treated differently. Often the same eighty needed 

 several kinds of treatment, and as many kinds of seeds. 

 Red-top wants a wet soil. Clover needs a deep soil, as it 

 roots very deep. Much of our lowland was now coming 

 into red-top by a process of natural seeding. More seed 

 should be used, not wait for nature to seed for us. Timothy 

 seems the most natural grass to our soils, and will thrive on 

 any vegetable loam soil — but that it easily winter-kills is a 

 mistake. It is the fall drought which kills it ; it is a bulb 

 plant and must have plenty of moisture. Clover is the best, 

 all considered : it yields the most abundantly, will produce 

 more milk than timothy, but not quite as good for pasture 

 as red-top or blue grass. It is a mistake not to try to make 

 our land yield more grass ; there is too much loss; we must 

 use more fertilizers. Top dressing is good for grass. Clover 

 not only yields a great profit, but it is in its nature a fertil- 

 izer, preparing the way for other crops, especially for oats 

 and corn ; we should all raise more — should alternate with 

 our crops. And all should remember that grass was the 

 farmer's " backer." 



C. C. BuELL said some recommended muck for a top 

 dressing for grass lands. Some was good, some worthless. 



Mr. Johnson wanted to know as to the expense of 

 marking new land by the use of muck. He lived on the 

 prairie, where help at from $1^ to $2^ per month made it 

 too expensive ; could see no profit in it. 



C. C. BuELL could not tell as to exact cost or profit of 

 using muck. He knew that to make all the barren places 

 in our farms productive would remove many "eye sores.'* 

 He believed the wet places should be made dry, and the 

 poor ones productive, regardless of cost. 



