The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1857-02-11
THE IMPROVEMENT OF GRASS LAND.


THE IMPROVEMENT OF GRASS LAND.
The following judcious. practical remarks
on an important subject. we copy from the
Gennesee Farmer:
In the Improvement Of grass lands, the
first thing to be done is the removal Of all
stagnant water BY means Of thorough under
draining. Unless this is accomplished, the
best ofcultisation, seeding and top-dressing,
will fail to produce their full effect.
When our meadows fail, from whatever
cause, it is generally advisable to plow them
up in the fall, and cultivate them thoroughly
for two or three years, with corn, potatoes, OF
other root crops, manuring them heavily, and
seeding down again when the white daisy and
other weeds have been destroyed, and the old
turf has entirely disappeared. IT, however,
the land is So low that it is not desirable to
cultivate il with other crops, il may be plowe,i
up in August, and well worked with cuti.
yator, harrow, &C., till fne, +" seed bed" is
obtained, not forgetting to give IL q good coat
OF manure; Il long manure, plow it in il well
Idecomposed, which is best, spread il on the
burrows, harrow and cultivate till it is tho
roughly incorporated with the soil. About the
first Of September, sow it with artificial gras-
ses. and be not sparing Of the seed I; half a
bushe of timothy. and half bushel Of red
top. or other grasses in proportion, is none too
much. Generally. by So doing. lair crop
Of eood hay is obtained the next season. This
method Of restocking worn out meadows has
been practiced with much success by many
excellent farmers il New England. Some
ol them recommend sowing clover with the
timothy and red-top, in the fall, but we
should be inclined to fear il would seldom
survive our hard winters; unless. indeed, il
were sown quite early. say in July or first Of
August.
We have seen meadows greatly improved
by simply scarrifying the sward in the fall
by means Of heavy harrow, aud then sowing
from eight 70 sixteen quarts Of timothy. red
top, and rye grass seeds, equal parts to the
acre. In the case alluded To. heavy rain fol-
lowed Immediately after the sowing. aud the
seed was MT narrowed in at all but generally
! il would be well TO cover them slightly with
light harrow. 4 good coat Of comaost,
spread ON the sward before the srst harrow
ing. would be OF much benefit.
i The best time to top-dress all meadows that
att hut W. wv VI Hniphs "a HeNNiSB - WI
the fall. In England nothing was more CON.
mon, twenty years ago, than to make com
post with barn yard manure aud old head.
lands, aud alter Il was well ,lecompused, Il
cart it on to the meadows during the winter
months. The effect was very beneficial
Unmixed manure was seldom used. Sine,
the introduction Of Peruvian GuanO, however
the practice Of composing old headl.nds has
10 solne extent, gwen way 10 tnp.dressln.
with light artificial manure. Guan0 gives !
better immediate effect. al i much less cost
but whether il il ultimately more profitable
is an open question. With hay al from fileel
10 twenty dollars per ton. there can be n,
dnubt that a judicinus application OF good Pc
ruyan Gnauo. IN the iall o. very early in ~
Spring. will give sufficient increase. Tor Iey
years al least. to pay Tor the guano, and hay
a reasonable profit. The cons,ant exports
linn Of hay draws heavily on the soil fpr p /
ash. aud a. guam contains very little potash
init more than two per cent? il may reasOna
bly, be supposed that TO manure with guam
alone will soon leave the soil deficient d
available poiasl. Ii such should b. the ease
an application oil wood ashes would suppl
the deficiency.