Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1854-09-07
AGRICULTU l. Il A l..


SOWING GRASS SEED IN THE FALL.
The prsclice-now become quite com
mon in many sections of ihe country-oi
sowing gtsss seed in the fall, is one which,
in our opinion, can scarcely be too highly
recommended. Experience has proved the
old method of sowing timothy, clover, aud
other grass seed in the spring, with crop
of oas or other cerals, too extremely haz-
a,dous, and the numerous failures which
have attended during the last three years,
seem TO point the expediency if not induce
ihe 6ciual necessity of adopting some more
certain method of stocking lands with grass
than the cid one which has proved so disas'
trous to the agricultural interests ol our
land. Many years since we had the plea
sure of Witnessing the result OF an expert
menl which was then new to Us, and which
impressed us so slrongy al The Ilme-ow-
ing to the apparent success with which 1t
was atiended-tiIa, we did no. hesitate 10
adopt method involved as common prac-
tice, and>have ever since pursued it will
success.i On piece OF well cultivated soil,
from which heavy crop of potatoes had
been harvested, grass seed had been sowed,
without The intervention Of the plow, the
surface having been prepared for the recep-
.ion of The seed, merely by working il over
with the common cul,iva.or. After sowing
the seed, it was covered with ligh. brush
and rolled. Previously however 10 sowing
a small quantity Of old compost had been
spread, with bushel Of gypsum, or ihe1ea-
bouts, 10 the acre. The termination Of the
seed was rapid, and before she close Of The
season the soil was covered with dense
foliage, resembling The aftermath, of we'll
TILED clover field. The crop the subsequent
season was most sbundant one. On an
other portion Of The same farm, we saw
field of TWO acres on which an experiment
of a some what different kind was III pro-
cass of realization. The land had been
planted in corn-,he manure having been
bGosd-casted on The furrow, and narrowed
IN. The grass seed on this had been sow
ed at The las, (thi5d) hoeing on Hat SUI
face, no hill having been made around The
corn, and extra pains being taken TO level
the surface az perfectly in finishing Oft as
was practicable with The hand hoe. 10 har-
by the roots, thus leaving the surface per-
feclly clean and free from everything tha.
could operate as an obstruction TO the
exercise Of ;he scy,he. On lhis piece, the
grass was taller but less evenly dssenSna-
led-a circumstance which was induc'd
to attribute TO the difficulty necessarily e&
perienced in broadcasling The seed yet, Oh
The whole, The appearance was remarkably
favorable, and was subsequently, informed
by the intelligent experimenser, that the
crop was an excellen, one, and 1ha! The land
retained its fertility unimpared for years.
The time, trust, is by no means distant,
when grass lands will be laid down with
out The intervention of a grain crop, Tor J
am very certain that the practice is an inJu'
dicious end ruinous one TO our Interests,
and ought therefore TO be wholly discard
ed at once True we must have whea's
rye, barley, oats, Sc. bu. we neednos make
the culture of them curse to ourselves and
10 our soil. proper rotation will sci all
right in this mailer Belfast Journal.