Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-03-20
Grass Culture.
A PAPER READ BEFORE THE LATE MEETING Oi
BOARD or AGRICULTuRE At MONTPELIER.

I am invited to open the discussion on
" Grass Culture" by reading a paper. The
subject is Of such moment, the invitation
should have been given to one having some
requisite qualification for doing justice to it.
| can only refer briefly to some facts, perhaps
of common experience, and leave it for those
who follow in the discussion to speak in
detail.
The Vermont farmer living SO far from
large cities and seaport towns as to preclude
market gardening, must necessarily ever make
grazing in some Of its forms his principal and
chief reliance The cereal grains can be laid
down at his door from the great grunary Of
the West, at too low rate for him to raise
them to sell
The grasses form the basis of food for most
of our domcsticated animals. Their culture
then, how we can best increase the amount
and value Of the crop, is a subject of almost
vital Importance should be held in the high
est estimation, and reckoned second to none
else by the Vermont farmer.
From me you did not expect a scientific
view of this subject nor facts in relation to
other localities Neither did you expect
had tempered with Lucerne or Alsike clover.
As it is, trust you desire such facts as are
available by, and come within the reach of
all, and not what some retired capitalist or
fancy farmer accomplished, by spending four
dollars to one returned. Then let the farmer
who tills his acres to remove a mortgage that
became necessary in the purchase Of his farm,
never listen to the almost obsolete ioer against
book farming. Let him rather adopt that
progressive kind, which arises from all the
knowledge one can get from books from ag.
ricultural periodicals, from such associations
as this " Board" and every other source of
information. If he discard office so far as to
buy out of it, instead of into it, it will be all
the better for him. If he stands at the head
of well selected laborcrs, and does os much
work as any of them, they will need DO other
stimulus. Next, let him make the cultivation
Of the grasses a specially. Instead of cult.
waiting TO see how many bushels Of corn or
other grain he can raise TO the acre, let that
be secondary, and the after grass crop
paramount consideration. Soils differ so ma.
terially, often in close proximity to each other,
that the same treatment will not answer for
both Hence the conflicting views in relation
to deep and shallow ploughing, surface ma
nuring, and ploughing in manure. believe
that farmers, as a class, are noted for great
consciousness in relation to the usury law,
and would have the legal rate kept at six per
cent. That being SO, it would be wise 10 them
to make greater effort TO bring their acres up
to that standard, and not be content to take
much less rate. If one acre only can at
first be brought to the right standard it is
commencing in the right direction. That
acre will help largely to fit other acres. The
ball will increase every time it is turned
over Ask the advocate of shallow plough
ing if deep soil is not better than a shallow
one, and how will he obtain it without deep
ploughing and manuring?
Our recent frequent droughts, arising from
general destruction of the forests, or other
causes, render deep cultivation of the utmost
Importance to the grass crop. With it, and
liberal manuring, good grass crop may be
obtained on most soils, even in seasons oil
great drought The man who insists on shall.
low cultivation must, just so long, follow the
skinning system. One writer who believes
in surface manuring, asks us to be instructed by
nature, in the large forest growth produced
by an annual top-drcssing of leaves. Surely,
and does not that dense forest shield the
suns rays and keep that top-drcssing moist
and friable2 Whereas we want the solar
rays about the roots Of our plants, and lit
tie artificial covering to keep the necessary
dressing from being pnrched up by them.
have used for some fifteen years, on a farm
located on spur Of the Green Mountain
range, with westerly slope aud loan soil,
neither sandy nor clayey, one Of Nourse and
Mason's double-swivel ploughs. 1t does no,
turn fiat furrow slice, but thinly skins the
sward, then filings up loose earth leaving an
uneven surface, which facilitates the comming.
ling Of the manure with the soil spread \
coat of manure on to the sward, aud then the
work Of this plough, from the depth Of from
ten to eleven inches, does something towards
mixing it with the soil, instead of planting il
all below a fat furrow slice. Spread on an.
other coat of manure, and the harrow, with the
uneven surface, readily covers it, and it is
fitted for a crop. Never take oil but two
crops while under the plough. Seed with
the first or second, using one half bushel Of
Timothy seed to the acre, of ones own rails
ing. If highly MANFRED, on such land as
have described, no clover need be added.
Enough will be found in the crop, Thus
treated, ground will produce a good crop Of
hay, from eight to ten years without plough
ing
have ploughed thus aud spread all the
manure on the top, seeding down the 6rsi
year, and obtained good crop of grass, but
it will not hold out nearly as long. Avoid
too close or too early cropping the after
math. BY all means avoid oyer,stocking
summer or winter. 1t is a great bane to the
farmer. Early cut hay, well secured, will
keep well for years 1t is sure to be wanted,
Do not be afraid Of sumnering over few
tons of hay. 1t will not bankrupt live far
mer. 1t will make an independent man Of
him in season of short crop. The shallow
cutiyators will swarm about him like bees at
such time, II he has any feed for their
starving animals have succeeded well
with top-dressing 1 have applied it in early
spring and fall. 1t should be applied before
the crop has much diminished. The quality