Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-03-03
Laying Down Grass Land.

EDS. COUNTRY GENTLEMAN:-I
will give you some of my experience
in laying down grass land in Rock
Island, Ill. In the spring of 1857. l
rlowed O field of corn-stalks. Be-
fore blowing, the stalks were broken
down with harrow in lands the
size wished to plow, 80 that the
stalks would lie leugthwise of the
rows SO as not to clog before the
pillow. Eowed with oats and smooth
~ narrowed. AS soon ~ the oats
were harvested and hauled off, which
was about the last of August, /
sowed timothy seed at the rate of q
bushel to three acres, and narrowed
twice. My reasons for sowing in
this month, and not pillow or disturb
the soil, were: First, nature seemed
TO show that grass seed was ready to
take care of itself when ripe; when
any seed scattered out by passing the
gate or bar-posts when on the load,
IL readily grew, even on hard packed
ground. Second, my ground was
already smooth-smoother than |
could get it after being again piowed.
1t needed no manure, or If 1t did by
exhaustion from previous crops, /
would not apply it then. The stub
BILE would be but little disturbed by
the passing of the harrow over it,
thus furnishing shade in part for
the tender blades, and a protection
as O light mulch for the roots in
winter. The "ketch' was very per-
feet. In March following, l sowed
ten pounds of clover seed to the acre
clZ oil VrIt
closely to the ground. Some of the
clover was high enough to fall before
the sickle. l had twenty loads of
hay from the sixteen acres. The
next year it yielded three tons per
acre. In August, 1858, l top-dressed
the field with rotten barnNyard ma
nure, with about eight loads per
acre, and narrowed il. This harrow
ing more evenly spread the manure.
The third season moved it twice,
and got heavy crop of hay and
rowen. Here did wrong, though |
had good calves and fat sheep the
sheep the next spring. / had ex-
posed my clover roots to the winter
frosts 10y taking off the necessary
mulching. This Taught me never. to
NOW a meadow but once year. Ii
nearly recovered, however, by not
pasturing il the next spring or fall.
This lot is yet in grass, having been
moved thirteen years, and only hav.
ing had the second top-dressing six
years ago-and has averaged two
and half tons per acre yearly.
| am satisfied, from long expert
ence and observation, that manure OF
any kind answers a better purpose
by being applied to meadows and
pattUres-mostly to meadows, be-
cause here il gives out its enriching
qualities on the top of the ground.
where nature requires 1t. Pastures
need less, as the droppings from the
stock are scattered over the field.
From the statement of those who
have received premiums from our
State Agricultural Society on farms
and farm crops, it appears that a
meadow sod that had been frequent
~ top. dressed-plowed either in late
fall or early spriIg-produced the
best aud heaviest crop of corn; that
10 manure need be used on stubble
ground for any crop; enrich the
meadows and pastures then turn
over, and raise some four or five
crops, and again seed to timothy and
clover. This rotation has now Of
late been adopted by our best farm
ers.
My opinion is that all mRnures
should be kept as near the top of the
ground as possible. for all farm crops.
TO bury IL eight or ten inches deep,
10 me seems wastefull.-C g. IdaL0r,
Gates5urg, III.