THE CULTURE AND USES OF BROME-GRASS. 61 
PREPARATION OF BROME-GRASS MEADOWS FOR OTHER CROPS. 
The breaking up of a brome-grass meadow and the preparation for 
other crops 1s a very important matter. It has been found at the 
Manitoba experimental farm that plowing the sod after a crop of hay 
has been cut and the aftermath has made a growth of 3 or 4 inches 
‘gives very satisfactory results. The plowing may be done the latter 
part of June or the first of July and the sod back-set either in the 
fall or early in the spring and put in condition for wheat or other 
grains by disking and harrowing. If the aftermath is allowed to 
grow to the extent above indicated, it assists very materially in rotting 
the sod and also supphes additional humus. When the breaking is 
done immediately after a crop of hay or seed is harvested, the sod does 
not rot well, especially if the season is dry, and consequently the 
ground is in poor condition for a crop the following spring. 
A method which has been found to be practicable, at least in the 
eastern portion of the Dakotas, 1s to break early in the spring after 
the grass gets a good start, then disk and roll thoroughly, and in June 
sow to flax at the rate of about half a bushel to the acre. In this case, 
unless the flax makes a good stand there will be some danger of the 
brome-grass making a sufficient growth to become troublesome. 
Where flax is a successful crop, it can follow brome-grass to good ad- 
vantage. No matter what method is practiced, the grass is likely to 
give trouble the first season on account of its persistence, but if prop- 
erly handled will not be a serious menace. It is necessary in the drier 
sections to break the sod when the moisture conditions are favorable, 
whether in fall or spring, as it is very difficult to break and does not 
rot readily. On account of the latter fact the sod requires consider- 
able working in the sections of low rainfall. 
MISCELLANEOUS USES. 
The aggressive nature of brome-grass fits it for certain uses and 
situations for which the common standard grasses are not adapted. 
It.is very valuable for putting heavy new land in condition for other 
crops. The rich heavy soil of river bottoms, which are frequently 
covered with a dense growth of weeds and brush, may be put in good 
condition by seeding heavily after clearing and plowing. At the end 
of two years the grass comes on to the exclusion of the weeds and 
makes an excellent hay meadow. 
There are certain classes of soil that after having been plowed for 
five or six years become very loose and blow badly and are in poor 
mechanical condition for ordinary crops. When Bromus imermis 1s 
grown on such land for a few years it adds a sufficient amount of 
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