14 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
paring soils to receive the different varieties of seed, which was only 
surface work. Yet what a luxuriant growth they obtained ! 
We will now pass over the intervening space of time, to more 
recent date in the history of the cultivation of grass by the system 
of surface-culture. Look at its history in England, Holland, Germany, 
Scotland, and other progressive countries of Europe! Land that has 
not been plowed during the past 200 years, the rental value increas¬ 
ing in proportion to its age. Even in many of the New England 
States, grass land that the virgin soil has never been broken by the 
plow produces the very richest quality of grasses grown in these 
states. 
We will now notice our experience in the improvement of grass 
land in the North-West. In the year 1853 the writer located near the 
city of Oshkosh, Wis. Heard the general complaint about the grow¬ 
ing of tame grasses, and it was an admitted fact that Wisconsin was 
never designed to become a dairy state of any importance, or even 
the respected state of Illinois. It is wonderful to contemplate the 
change that has taken place since that period to this time, relating to 
the dairy interest, of which you are all informed as to its progress. 
We know by experience that the looser we make the soil with the 
plow we increase its capacity to receive heat, which will aid rapid 
evaporation of moisture, so very essential to promote a strong growth 
of vegetation, especially that of grass, which was one of the principal 
causes in the loss of the young seeding in the early settlement of the 
North-West. Again, another reason for the loss was this: Chemical 
analysis of wheat and Timothy hay shows that they require about 
the same elements from the soil to sustain a vigorous growth. Here 
the farmer was disappointed in the unsatisfactory growth of his 
favorite grass, which was timothy. The writer has a thorough agri¬ 
cultural education, one naturally adapted to the growing of grasses. 
Here on the old homestead was my instruction in the system of sur¬ 
face-culture in the improvement of grass lands. At the time of 
writing there is grass land that has never been broken with plow, 
upon the old farm, yielding a very generous supply of grass, 
very good in quality. About eight years ago was commenced the 
work of improving the grass land in the North-West, with the view 
of securing a smoother surface for the working of machinery requi¬ 
site in securing a crop of hay. Our work was slow and expensive* 
Only a few men could afford the expense, as the cost ranged from 
$5.50 to $10 per acre for the labor and other expenses added thereto. 
