Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1840-07-31
From the Franklin Farmer.
SEEDING WOOD LAND IN GRASS.

Dear Sir-Your request that should
communicate to you my experience in the cul-
tivation OF grass, as you are inclined to think,
l may know something worth telling, is COM
Piled with by me most chccr(ully, though, at
the same time, must acknowledge, my quail
lhcatlons as writer are not such as will make
the subject interesting, even to you, who
take SO much interest in it. You will permit
me to describe things in my own way, and if
am in the main ineligible, you will know
be satisfied, although may not treat matters
IN the order and style critic might wish.
Before am done, | think it likely shall in
troduce some topics not strictly within tho
scope of your request, but lying very near TO
its borders. If, for instance my hand does
not tire, may say something about the best
mode of grazing and tatting cattle, a subject,
you perceive, that has not much to do with
the cultivation of grass, but which is of equal
interest, and is more closely connected with
it than is supposed.
You inform me that much of your wood
land is in state Of nature, and that YOU
would like to know the best way to get well
set in grass. To do this, as in every other
work of importance, you will have TO exer-
ercise patience and perseverance. And in
the first place, you must as speedily as possi-
BILE, get rid Of all useless timber, such a.
buckeye, box-elder, thorn-bushcs, and tho
rough and crooked sugar trees, as we'll as
shrubs, iron wood, hornbeam, and suclilike,
as may cucumber the land; reducing tho
amount of shade to about onc-third OF what
is common on forest land This is usually
done by cutting down and buring the smaller
sized timber and shrubs, and by deadcning
the larger, and leaving them for time to as
sist in their removal. All fallen timber, both
top and trunk, must be removed. This work
being done during summer and autumn, in
the winter following you you must feed stock
of any every kind upon the land so prepared
for the more it is trampcd the etter. Scat
ter your grass seed in January or February,
and to enable you to do it regularly and upon
all OF the surface, you must take advantage
OF snow for by sowing it on snow you
Will be able to see where your seed falls, and
and where it does not, and thus regularity in
sowing is gained, an object greatly to be de-
sired. You should continue to feed upon and
tramp the ground, until, from the warmth of
weather, it is apprchendcd the seed is about
to germinatc, at which time all stock must
until about the first of June, when the young
grass will be up from six to ten inches high,
being in appearance quite slender and weak
ly, and which if permitted to remain much
longer without being grazed of. will fall with
its own weight; will mildcw, rot and die root
and branch, at least in great measure, cs-
pecially if the shade covering the ground
is considerable. 1t is, therefore, proper, at
this time to turn your stock upon it, (horned
cattle much to be preterred) and Craze it
close to the gro,nl the greater number of
cattle turned on the better: large number
will accomplish the object much more evenly
than will small one. After your stock has
taken off the grass and weeds as close IS il will
1 readily eat them, it must again be removed.
and You must cut down with scythe, all re-
naming weeds, bricrs and elders. Nv ex.
pcrience has convinced me of the necessity
Of this kind of management in setting wood
land pastures, as it not only prevents the
tops OF the grass from smothering the feeble
roots, but the treading of the stock gives a
| compactness to the ground about the roots
of the grass, which is indispensable at this
time. After this, when the grass has again
grown TO sufficient height to afford a bullock
iull QUE, you can Craze ii according to in
| clination or necessity. If the set happens to
to be irregular, thing not uncommon, YOU
should renew your efforts by resolving the
naked spots, and treading the seed in with
stock in the winter, or you can succeed as
well by feeding hay, containing the right
kind of seed, over them. Indeed, there is no
method so certain of success in setting land
in grass, as feeding hay. containing tho do.
scrption of seed desired, upon it,
When this Plan is pursued, the hay should
be scattered with great regularity. A ton of
hay having good seed is enough to 90 over
five acres, if care is taken in scattering. Blue
grass, you know, is in universal use here for
woodland pastures, but as 1t slow in getting
sufficient set to be profitable, timothy and
red clover seed ouch, to he mixed with tho
blue grass seed. One bushcl of striped blue
grass seed, half gallon each of timothy and
clover seed to the acre, is the usual quantity
SoWn. less would he bad nconomv and o,o.