Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-02-07
Tame Grasses.

We think the time has come when farmers
in our Valley should pay more attention to
the cultivation Of tame grasses. Our wild
prairie grass, is becoming scarcer every year
The tramping of the sod by the herds of cat
tie that roam over our unoccupied lands, has
caused the grass to die, and coarse weeds to
take its place Wild hay brings to day in
this market, from three to five dollars per ton,
reeeghts Of it is waste. large coarse weeds
not fit for bedding. One ton of good limo
thy hay viii go farther than one and three
fourth tons of the wild hay we buy in our
market. We are satisfied that Timothy at
81 per ton, is cheaper than the wild hay at
50 per ton.
Mr.. Edward Smith, the gentlemanly Pres
dent of the Scott County Agricultural Society
who lives near Davenport, told me that he
has so acres of Timothy meadow, that cut
him $50 tons Of fine hay the last year. He
has sold one hundred and fifty tons of it in
the Davenport market at SO per ton readily.
The whole would amount to 50 900 at IS. he
says that 81 500 Of it is clear gain. He cut
but the one crop. In the Fall he pastures
his stock on it until the snow. We will
from time to time give all the information on
this subject that we can gather We clip
from an exchange the following:
/ think that the sowing of grass seed on
our prairie sod in the spring, and narrowing
in, is a useless expenditure. I have seen it
tried but never have known it to succeed well
The prairie grass sod is too tough, and the
roots run so deep that tame grass seed finds
but poor chance to get a foot hold. Upon
some of our ravines or sloughs, where it can
be pastured quite closely 50 as to keep the
wild grass short, rel top seed may be sown,
and IN few years it will partially work out
the wild grass but then your crop can never
be as good as if the slough had been first
ditchcd and well subdued, and after a few
crops of grain had been raised, seeded with
red top, and rolled with heavy roller In
this way you will have meadow that is
meadow All of our prairie ground should
be well subducd before grass seed of any kind
is sown.
Most of our top soil is too light or loose
prairies, and the decay of the many annual
growths of grass leaving some several inches
of light black soil, which is as loose as ashes.
This should be worked in with the sub soil
by several deep plowings. Then you have a
more compact soil and the grass roots will
set more firmly. If sown at the first or sec
ond year after the prairie has been broken,
the soil is so light that the grass, though it
may start well, will in year or two partially
bry out or stand IN stools, which makes but
poor meadow. Glover, If sown upon new
ground will do better than timothy, having
long tape root which will bring its support
from far below the top ofthe ground. There
fore, to get little tame grass as early as pos
sible, pillow deep and sow clover with spring
wheat. Wet the wheat and mix the clover
seed with it thoroughly, and evenly then SOW
while wet, thus the seed is evenly sown. If
sown separately it is very difficult to SOW
grass seed evenly, particularly if there is any
wind. Roll after narrowing.
For timothy, raise two or more crops of
grain; pillow deep, bring up the sub-soil; then
SOW as above described. Oats will do to seed
with but wheat is better Oats shade the
ground too much. Fall seeding does very
well. After a crop of wheat or oats has been
harvested, pillow deep, SOW the grass seed, har-
row and roll. This should be done in Au-
gust or the first of September. Keep all cat.
| tie and sheep off-next year NOW. QUAINT
ty Of sced-eight quarts of timothy seed il
sown alone is sufficient. If mixed with clio
yer, four of timothy and three of clover is
about right per acre. c. G. TAYLOR.
Pleasant Ridge Rock Island Co, H., March 6, 1856.