Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-26
SEEDING TO GRASS IN AUTUMN

Mr.. w. III. White writes to the Country
Gentlemen as follows:
The advantages of autumn over spring
seeding are obvious to the observing farm
er, especially on weIl-drained soils that are
not likely to heave, honey-comb, etc, from
winter frosts. First, the soil is in condition
to be much easier and better fitted than is
possible in spring after fall and spring rains,
winter SHOWS and wet. Weed seeds ger
inmate and the frost destroy them, while in
spring they grow and interfere with the
grass crop. Second, we get very much
better first crop without loss of time and
use of land. Third, autumn is the more
natural time of scattering the seed, the
soil is warm, and all things are more favor
able for seeding and growth. All our ma
tive plants shed their seed after maturity to
perpetuate their species, and this seed ma
lures before the sleep or rest of winter. Can
we do better than adopt natures mode?
Our cultivated grasses are only varieties
of natural ones, requiring the same general
natural treatment in their propagation and
culture. We then believe that early autumn
is the best time for seeding down to grass,
and that the grass seed be sOwn alone, not
with grain. In our own experience we have
tried seeding alone in autumn, seeding with
grain in both spring and fall, and invariably,
on well-drained soil, the autumn seeding
alone was the best in all respects. Autumn
seeding should be done in September, as
early in the month as possible, ...'.r
The land should be well plowed, thorough
ly narrowed, and put in the finest possible
condition; no humps, stones or other OBJ
strUctiOns should be left, but the surface soil
be as finely pulyerized and even as for a
bed of onions, or other vegetables in well
cultivated garden. A dressing of four to
six cords of well-fned rotten manure should
be worked into the surface with the harrow
before sowing the seed; the seed should
then be evenly sowed broadcast-if it is
timothy, twelve to sixteen quarts should be
used to the acre; if other varieties, in same
proportion, enough to occupy the soil at
once. Clover seed is sown in spring on
the last light snow, usually in March or
April; the quantity of seed used var
les with different cultivatOrs. Our own
experience, on a sandy loan soil, indicates
that one quart to the acre is sufficient; per-
haps this may be from clover coming in
naturally, if none is sown, in small qunti-
ty. We usually divide our timothy seed in
two equal parts, sow one part one way of
the field, the other crosSways this; in this
way we get a more even distribution than
otherwise; we then take light fine-toothed
seed harrow and go over it once thoroughly,
leaving the surface smooth and even. The
seed soon terminates, and by the time the
ground freezes there is perfect mat to Gov
er the surface. The following season the
crop has to be cut in June, in order to save
it from rotting ON the ground from lodg-
ing. We obtain two to four tons, as the
soil is in richness, usually not less than
three tons for first crop, and one-half as
much rowen, or second crop. We have
now a piece thus stocked, mown twice
each season for three years past, and this
season, as dry as it has been, the first crop
was over two tons per acre, the second one
and half, by estimation. - ..s.lr
Seeding to grass is a somewhat costly OPP
Grafton, and when done should be thorough
ly done, that it may not need being repealed
so often as is otherwise the case, and that
we may reap profit instead of loss from our
grass land, and the hay be of superior
quality. ..- -. ~. ~.