Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1857-07-30
Chr FARMER.
Meadows and Pastures.

We do not give adequate attention to seed
ing our grass land. Many an acre now
mown or pastured, never received thlmble-
full of seed from the hand Of man. 1t may
produce grass, but many other pants-weeds
rather-occupy portion of the space, and
nav no rent therefor. Had the good seed
been sown there would have been no vacan-
cies for the bad, and valuable forage would
have covered the whole surface. In seeding
new land, too little care is given to preparing
for the seed-on new and old We SOW too
small quantity-saving dollar in seed to
lose ten in hay or pasture. 10 varieties we
also give too little heed-forgetting that the
different grasses are in their prime for only
short part of the year, and that by Il due
mixture of varieties we may keep our pas
lures green from early spring until the snow
covers them from our sight.
A still greater loss results from want OF
drainage. Especially is this true of our per-
manent meadows and pastures, which are
generally located on land untitled for the
plough--swampy or hilly, full Of springs and
low places just fitted for holding stagnant
water. In low, swampy lands, where surface
water stands late in spring, the cultivated
grasses are destroyed, and flags and rushes
soon take their place. If the grass 'sstill
III its .xssae ii mtiea sosoriatei'S ~nd a
sickly growth is given, poor as pasture and
worthless as hay. The remedy lies in prop
er surface drainage, where the situation is
unfavorable to more thorough procedure
A few days work will often save largely in
increase Of grass, both in quality and guam
tity. On billy, springy land, a ditch to col
lect the water at the fountain head, instead
of allowing it to spread over large space,
will often prove of great benefit. Many ca
ses might be cited, but every farmer can see
in wet season, where drainage is of the first
necessity, and where it would work wonders
in the character and value of tAe crops pro-
duced.
Dry land in grass often suffers severely
from poverty of the soil--want of manure
as well as from the shallow character of the
previous culture. A deep rich soil will stand
drought far better md longer than a hard
and poor one. That culture which gives the
best grain and root crops, best prepares the
land for the growth of clover and the gras-
sos. Let such land be deeply cultivated and
well MANFRED, and with or after the first crop,
literally stocked to grass, and the product
will be all that can be desired. Upland pas
lures and meadows may be improved by a
top-dressing of fine manure, or Of ashes, plas-
ter, bone dust, guano, etc. Plaster, especi-
ally, should be sown on young clover-it will
increase its growth and aid it materially il
enduring the first winter.
We must give this subject more thorough
attention. There is no need of spreading oul
pastures and meadows 50 thin that they covel
half our farms. Make them better and W,
can keep more stock or give more acres tt
other crops. The more stock the more ma
nure, the more manure the better grain, ant
the greater the product and profits of gu
farms. Improvement here, begins at tn
very foundation of good husbandry, and lead
on to pro ress in the thorough culture of tn
whole farm-to better crops, better stock ,an'
better return for our labor. Let us begil
at once II we have any grass lands covere,
-sgiiAssz BIC ~ ~ s84l ssil
be the time to drain them Let Is level dow
and fill up, dig out stumps and stones, an,
give the ever-regdy grasses room to grow am
flourish. He has been called benefactor 0
his race, who makes two blades of grass groy
where one grew before, let us deserve tn
name hundred fold.-Momes Ruaal Nea
Yorker.