Middletown transcript., 1871-12-02
The farmer.
ssassse Rows TO saass.

nv experience with seeding down land
u aeass extends back over number Of
ssass, and though can claim that have
tsca successful In obtaining a good catch.
have sccn many failures among my
nsighbors. Years ago, when the country
eas comparatively new. the soil more full
~ plant -(oo.i, the climate less subject to
the extremes of cold aud drouth, aud the
hs,scr dependent upon himself or his
beother farmers for seed, rather than upon
shs mi,i,llcmcn Of the present day, com
rasstively light seeding often produced all
The grass the land could carry. Still, the
general iLen was raihcr to wait for the land
10 develop the grass, than by giving lib
cfsl seeding TO enable the grass TO occupy
the land at once The drst year after the
grass came in. cii.."r for pas,urage or hay,
The very light seeding then given result
I'd in n light crop Time howevcr,by en-"
ablins the roots to spread and the crowns
TO stool out, gave better crops. THIS was
greatly assisted by the fact that the snow
lay longer and more evenly on the ground
giving u protection to the roots OF the
I,ln ITS, that is now, from the prevalence OF
high winds aud sudden changes OF tcmpe-
rsture. no, to be depended upon. A quart
Of timothy and five pounds Of closcr-sced
mixed together. in those days Ga years
aso), was considered ample seeding As
the land b.cat,c more cultivated, and the
constant growing Of grain crops at COM
paratiyrly short intervals exhausted IT ot
lis best constituents, together with the
rradnnl change in the climate, resulting
from the clearing oil Of the forest. the old.
fashioned thin seeding Of grass tstill per-
sisted in BY many farmcrs) failed to bring
good crops and the blame was laid upon
everything but the right cansc--,heir own
failure to observe the necessity for more
liberal seeding While my ncighbors were
content TO seed MS formerly increased
tho supply Of seed with the requirements
IL the time, and never failed to get good
take under all circumstances. and 10 cut
heavy crops uf grass, while they complain
Cd Of light gta,s or mn entire failure OF the
catch.
On old soils that have been long under
sillarc, II would be but waste OF time
aud trouble 10 SOW less than mixture OF
ten hounds Of clover with six quarts OF
Timothy prr acre. Ii clover alone Is de-
sired. twenty pounds per acre Is little O.
nough to insure good catch. have seed
cd down both on the snow when that lay
long enough in the Spring. and il was de.
sircd 10 snw on Winter grain, aud on
Spring grain crops, Of which barley !.
preferable requiring as It does the land
10 be- good heart. clsan aud we'll titled, to
ensure II su-ccsslul crop. In seeding Il
grass. il il desirable to keep in view th'
object fnr which the land is intended. j
for moving alone. the nature cf the sol
should be taken into account. Tn strong
claws and rich nluvinl meadows. tinio,h,
alone will do the best. Tn light soils
clover should prclonderatc, and the poor
CT the soil the more seed is required. Oi
moderate rich uplanls, aud farms adapie'
to carry stock. mixture Of grasses. II
which orchard grass. rye grass aud re,
tnp should BE- prcloininatc with some clio
ser, but no timothy. will be found mos
desirable. Where n mixture is sown il
order to obtain permanent pasturage 10
sheep or dairy stuck. the seeding must b
liberal, say not les than bnshcl per acr
by measure Of alt varieties combined.
grass seed il sown ON Winter grain aftc
the snow has gonc.i, is well to SOW NIL ex
ccpt the clover. as early in Spring as tll
frost is out and the ground can be gon
oycr with light or bush harrow. Th
clover being more quickly germinated an
requiring some heat to develnp the yonn
plants. which will not stand extreme chan
ses Of temperature should be sown la,c'
say from the end Of april to the middle I
Mar. and need MT be narrowed. As
general hing. however, clover does M
take SO well on Winter as on. Sprin
grain.
When Spring grain is to be seeded dow
the best plan is 10 SOW all the grasses t
gcthcr Just after the grain Is drilled I
narrowed in, md the iirs, rain will cov,
the grass seed sufficiently TO start
shsuld the weather prove dry for We,
Nftcr the seed is sown.l hayc found il We
- roll or harrow very lightly.