66 



D . M . FERRY 



GO'S 



weather. In warm climates, four or five cuttings are 

 made during the. season. It grows about one foot high; 

 the roots are nearly black ; leaves long ; blossoms long, 

 pointed, and of a very deep red, or carmine color. 

 Makes good hay. Sow in April or May, eight pounds of 

 seed per acre. 



W^hite Dutch Clover, {Trz/oHtitn repens). — A 

 small, creeping, spreading, perennial variety ,with white, 

 very fragrant blossoms. Its chief value is as a pasture 

 grass, for which purpose it is as valuable as the larger 

 varieties for hay or soiling. It accommodates itself to 

 a variety of soils, but prefers moist ground. In con- 

 junction with blue grass, it forms the most nutritious 

 food for sheep or cows. Sow in spring, at the rate of 

 six pounds per acre, or when used with other grasses, 

 half that amount will be sufficient. 



Lucerne, or Alfalfa Clover, {Medicago sativa).— 

 This is perhaps the most valuable variety for permeable 

 subsoils, consisting of loam, sand or gravel, as its roots 

 penetrate to a great depth, far 

 below the average of other plants. 

 It is more difficult to establish the 

 first year, requiring a fine, mel- 

 low soil, but will then produce a 

 profitable crop from five to twelve 

 years. It yields a prodigious 

 amount of green fooder for cattle, 

 and should be cut when first com- 

 mencing to bloom. It is no sooner 

 cut than it pushes out fresh 

 shoots, and the after-growth is 

 something wonderful. In the 

 dryest and most sultry weather, 

 t'hen every blade of grass with- 

 ers, Lucerne is as fresh and green 

 Lucerne Clover, as in spring, because the roots go 

 down to the moisture in the ground. It may be cut and 

 used green, or cut and used like ordinary clover hay. 

 Although such a prodigious yielder, it does not exhaust 

 the soil, but rather improves it. It should not be sown 

 on compact, clay soils, even with a light subsoil. It 

 grows two to three feet high, and has purple blossoms. 

 One of our customers writes us from Utah as follows : 

 " I have had years of experience, both here and in Cal- 

 ifornia. We always sow broadcast, twenty-five pounds 

 per acre ; the thicker it is sown the finer your hay will 

 be. If it is planted thin, it stools out and the stalks are 

 thick and not relished by stock. It requires no hoeing 

 whatever when sown as above. We cut four crops a 

 year, and its yield is enormous. The fall is the best 

 time for sowing here — about the first of September. 

 This gives it a good start, and it will stand the winter 

 and do much better the following season than when 

 sown in the spring. The above is my experience for 

 fifteen years." 



In some sections it is sown in the spring, in drills 

 twelve inches apart. This process requires about eight 

 pounds of seed per acre, and it can be hoed as soon as 

 up, and after each cutting ; it will completely cover the 

 ground. 



GRASS SEEDS. 



Timothy, {Phleum pratense). — As a crop to cut for 

 hay, this is probably unsurpassed by any grass in culti- 

 vation. Thrives best on moist loamy soils of medium 

 tenacity, and is not suited to light sandy or gravelly 

 soils. It should be cut just as the blossom falls. Sow 

 either in spring or fall, at the rate of twelve pounds per 

 acre, if alone, but less if mixed with other grasses. 

 Forty-five pounds per bushel. 



Orchard Grass, or Cock's Foot, {Dactylis £^om- 



Timothy. Orchard Grass. 



eraia). — One of the most valuable of pasture grasses, on 

 account of its quick growth and valuable aftermath. It 

 is ready for grazing in spring two weeks sooner than 

 most grasses, and when fed off is again ready for grazing 

 in a week. It is palatable and nutritious, and stock eat 

 it greedily when green. It stands a severe drought, 

 keeping green when many grasses wither, and will en- 

 dure considerable shade. It is less exhausting to the 

 soil than timothy, and will grow more in one day, in 

 summer, than timothy will in a week. When sown 

 with clover, it makes excellent hay, as it blossoms at 

 the same time, and they should be cut together. It has 

 a tendency to grow m tufts, which can be prevented by 

 close cropping. For grazing, it has no equal, and should 

 be used more than it is. When sown alone, two bushels 

 are required per acre; if sown with clover, half that 

 amount. It ought not to be sown 

 alone, except for seed. It is per- 

 ennial, and will last for years, but 

 its habit of growth unfits it for 

 lawns. Fourteen pounds per bushel. 



Red Top. 



Fowl Meadow. 



