142 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



system of crop rotation, and the thorough working of 

 the soil common in the north of England and in many 

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

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

 climate of the entire Johnson grass area permits at 

 least two crops a year 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 little or no in- 

 terference from the grass, if the land is thoroughly 

 plowed and harrowed before planting each crop. 



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

 this includes nearly all the w T orst areas, alfalfa can be 

 sown on Johnson grass land with perfect success. To 

 do this the land should be plowed and the rootstocks 

 thoroughly harrowed out early 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 every 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 

 anyw r ay, so that it yields very little three or four years 

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

 be pradlically free from the grass. What little is left 

 actually 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 



