The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1905-01-18
This Section Excels Every
Other Part Of the
State.
EXPERIMENTS WITH HAY AT
NORTHEAST STATION.
BrOmus Grass and Alfalfa and
Alsike Clover Are Yet But
Experiments.

Bulletin Number Al, the third
recent series sent out from the
experimental station at Grand
Rapids, deals with meadow hay
and pasture and contains some
very Important facts that are for
the most part unknown to the
people of this section. The bulle-
tin is as follows:
Grand Rapids, MINI.
January, 1905.
1t there is any one thing in
farming for which northeastern
Minnesota has the advantage
over other sections of the state
it is in the growing of clover.
During the past eight years Glow
er has failed but once on the Ex-
pertinent Farm and that due to
winter killing, never failing to
catch. Timothy has been grow n
with the same success.
| Glover has given an average
yield Of two tons per acre the
first cutting and from I to i
tons the second cutting. The
past season clover yielded 81
tons per acre including both cut.
tings.
Tame hay is grown exclusively
on the Experiment Farm there
being no wild hay land. For
this reason the meadow has not
been permanent, but, always
ploWed up after the second year.
Experiments have been Conduct
ed allowing the meadow to run a
longer period, and always with
the same results; that after the
second year the crop sown de-
creases to an Improbable yield.
This is a point upon which too
emphasis cannot be laid. Wild
hay land may produce a paying
crop for several years in success
sion but tame hay will not.
While this section is especially
favorable fer tame hay, it will
give a profitable return only
when rightly cared for. In
parts of the state where fields
are large the farmers may be
better able to get along with half
a crop, bat here where every
acre of cleared land has cost
much time and hard work it
should be farmed so that it's
highest production may be
realized.
Glover roots seldom live
through the second winter, and
while timothy lives longer the
sod gets out of condition after
the second year so that it will
not give a profita BILE yield.
While clover seed is high
priced the expense of reseeding
every other year may seem con-
siderable but the difference in
yield and the improvement in the
soil for other crops more than off
sets this expense. The system
of rotating the meadow land with
other crops will be taken up later
in series of bulletins on general
farm management.
Numerous varieties Of grasses
have been tried but thus far moth
ing has been found to equal com
mon red clover and timothy for
hay. Bromus, a grass much adj
vertised has been tried, but not
with conclusive results. The same
may be said of Alfalfa. The ex-
pertinent with both these plants
will be continued. Alsike clover
is very good for low land where
standing water. at certain seasons
of the year would kill out red
clover or timothy. In such cases
Alsike clover may be used as a
permanent meadow, but the land
has to be broken up and cultivated
before a catch can be secured.
PASTURE: The Experiment
Farm pasture has chiefly been
the uncleared part of the farm,
of which there are still about 200
acres. This has been the only
permanent pasture, no tame
grass as yet being used for that
purpose. Much of the second
crop hay on the meadow land has
been pastured with very good