The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-03-17
From the Southern Planter and Farmer.
Orchard Grass.

The greatest blundcr committed by Eas-
tern Virginia farmers is their neglecting to
raise hay-any hay-many of them. To
save fodder in the usual way, with hired Ia
Dor, as remunerating feed is impossible.
The substitute is easy of access and ready to
hand. Take, for example, an acre of land.
the coming spring, that will produce three
to four barrels of corn; plough it deep !;
manure it with good manure of any kind
Except guano, so-called, and superphos-
pilates )-bones will do; then apply twenty
bushels of ashes scraped from the farm
houses, scatter with shovel from tho cart;
if not enough to SO scatter, cast them with
the hand; let the land lie thus until you
wish to seed oats; seed on it from three.
quarters to bushel of oats (this quantity will
shade the grass and not crowd, putting them
in nicely; then seed on the fresh surface one
bushel of orchard grass, and one gallon Of
clover seed; pass over the surface with q
light harrow or brush, and roll with roller
or log of wood, and lett alone. If you can
afford it, let the oats fall as an improver to
both land and grass. After oats are har-
vested, see that nothing grazes it (neither
calf or pig, young grass is as easily injured
as young corn) until after the first crop Of
hay has been saved.
The Result. The next spring or early
summer, so soon as the orchard grass is in
blossom mot brown or seeded the clover
will be ready also; cut all for hay, and then
feed or put it away to use in place of fodder
You may safely expect 1000 to 5000 pounds
of hay, worth at least $50. Suffer nothing
to Craze it until 1st of December; then let
your dairy cow run on it Il hours each day
in open weather until 18th March. This
acre will supply one COW with food, and a
family with milk, during the winter months,
if not longer. 1t will supply the horses with
more hay and grass in fall, winter, spring
and summer, than any other grass yet intro
duced into Virginia. 1t is the only grass
that grows with US all the year round, except
only when the ground is frozen. 1t is not
an exhaustcr to land as is Timothy. 1t will
grow on any dry land, not excepting sand
bank. And here, permit me to suggest that
lHe UeSI STuSseS loFo vi ooii' We USUAL
ly seek the bottoms and moist places to grow
Timothy. Why? Because the grass is not
we'll suited to our soil or climate. Nor are
we the loosers thereby, so long as Orchard
Grass and Clover are accessible. The Or
chard Grass will stand the invasion of broom
straw, if you will practice littls patience,
and not suffer it to be grazed until it has
formed sod. Then you can't hurt it ex-
cept with hogs, or the plough. If any far
mers are usually scarce of fodder about 1st
of June, or even q little sooner, let them try
an acre lot, it will be just in time for your
wants. If you want lot, always green, for
an idle horse to run in, This will supply it.
Or green grass, in winter for your dairy
COW, this is the only grass that will furnish
it. Try it on a sand bank, if you can't do
better And if not next spring, try it next
fall with wheat, only put three-quarters of
bushel of seed in the fall, and the rest, one
quarter, in the spring, followed by roller.
JOHN WASHINGTON.
Spivey Hill, Caroline, Va, FEB. Sd.