St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1869-07-23
Chr farm and Garden.
FdU Seeding Grass Lands.

Mr.. Willard, the agricultural editor
OF the Utica Herald and practical far
mer, writes as follows to the Rural
American, concerning fall seeding of
grass lands: ''Thc system of fall seeding
to grass is beginning TO be practced in
some localities and with the best results.
The system to which ! refer is the SOW
ing of grass seeds separately or not in con-
nection with grain of any kind.
The usual practice is to seed with some
crop under the impression that the grain
not only serves good purpose in protect
ing the growing plants, but that the
land i'll this way is made to yield an an
nual crop which would not obtain if moth
ing but grass seed alone were sown.
When grass seed is sown with spring
grains, there is liability of its not TAX
ing well, and we frequently get light
crop of grass the following year. This
it is claimed, can be avoided by fall SOW
ings.
The land is plowcd in August or Sep
tember, and a top dressing Of we'll rotted
manure or compost applied, the land
thoroughly narrowed and fitted for mead
ow. The gra.s seed is then sowed and
covered with bush or light harrow and
the soil rolled. The September rains
bring up the seeds, and it gets well root
cd before the setting in of frost. The next
season, about the latter part of July. a
good crop Of hay is taken oft. Thus
nothing is lost except the tall feed, and
on land requiring plowing this is of little
value. The rotting sod and the compost
added, make Il deep tilth which will yield
several good crops. and when these be
gin to fail, the land is treated in the
same way again
There is a great difference of opinion
as 10 the best way of keeping up mead
. :, and in seeding them down. Upon
stock farms many contend that no crop
pays 50 well as grasS, and that when the
land needs breaking up, the sooner it can
be got back into grass. the better In
other words, permanent pastures and
meadows are sought, and no attention
paid to Il regular rotation of crops.
When such a system prevails, the usual or
common practice Is to break up, putting
the land the first year to corn. The sec
und year spring grains are sown. and the
land seeded to @ra>s ut the same time.
1t is evident under this system. unless
considerable quantities of manurcs be
used, the land must he somewhat exhaust
ed Of it, fertility The grain crops have
robbed il, ani it gor> back TO .raSS le--
able to yield Il maximum crop than when
first broken up. The plan Indicated oi
seeding in the fall, il will he seen. econ
omlzes all elements of fertility stored up
in the soft for the gra-s crop and a. cN
PerIcucc Ina, shown, gives lar%er returns
in grass at a less expense OF manure
than by the other method. Bv ii vou
get continuous crop OF graSs year after
year, which l. often u mu II Il count
when the lands devoted to meadows are
limited, and when any material reduction
of the hay crop i attended with the in
convenience either OF reducing the ordi-
nary stock or the purchase Of hay. or its
equivalent in the other kinds of cattle
food.
These considerations have led many
farmers to change from the common svS-
TEN OF feeding to this, and after testing
thoroughly, believe it an Improvement
over the old practice"