Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-06-25

Iof quantity produced, fourth-rate next.
then secood grade, and last and least OF all.
what would rank as strictly first class in
point of quality. Now this ought not to be
so and it Deed not be 30. 1t is in the power
iof every man who raises this crop to obtain
at least good quality of hay. If his land
is suitable for it, there is little trouble In
obtaining the best of hay. If his land is not
naturally fitted for grass, there are two ways
IN either of which he msy succeed in obtain
ing good results. The first and, as far as
present results are concerned the easiest way
| IS for him to obtain the seed Of some Of the
varieties of grass which, while making first
rate hay, are also adapted to his land. For
instance his land may be wet and cold, filled
with bog or sedge grass of miserable quality.
Now if the owner will turn over the turf and
let il rot meanwhile obtaining a crop OF corn
oats or me other grain) and then seed
down with Alsike clover, red-top or even
| fowl meadow grass, he will not only greatly
improve the quality of the hay, but also in
crease its quantity. Even timothy can be
5 Iwn On wet land and for few years pro-
duce good crops The tendency is, of course,
for the old wild grass to supplant the i'm
proved kinds, although the clover, being nat
ural for wet lands, is said to hold its own
great while even in c)ld aud poor land. 1t
this course is pursued it is probable that the
process will have to be repeated every four
or five years in order to maintain a frst-rate
quality of hay. This system, as We said
above, is the easiest, and, as lar as present
results are concerned, without any regard to
'uture comfort or profit, the most profitable
method to be pursued. But if the farmer
10 ks to the future. as all men ought, and
(.,,f r;
but also to prepare for the future, he will
naturally desire some method OF improve
ment which shall be successful in its present
'c3ults and also be of permanent value to
himself and his farm. THIS method is found
IN system of thorough drainage and high
manuring. Is it objected that these things
are too expensive? Remember that every
thing OF value is expensive. Ii costs to feed
,ur horses and cows, but 1t pays to do 1t be- |
cause we obtain from them far more tina |
the expense of feeding them. So with the
and 1t costs to improve it, but the i'm
provement is a perpetual benefit Every
year Ii pays something towards the expense.
oppose IA case. A farmer has meadow
ten acres of good land, with the
exception of being cold and wet. Because it
Is wet it is cold, and because it is wet and
;old both it will produce only very interior
quality OF hay. 1t is not suitable for other
;rOps. ALI that he does with the land Is to
new it once year. He obtains about a ton
If hay per acre and when well cured it is
worth about fourteen dollars. The land he
;tlls worth about fifty dollars per acre. Now
ct him dig large dttches to take off the sur
plus water-eG him expend IN this way two
hundred dollars Oh the lot. The dirt thrown
,ut of the bitches will be worth at least fifty
)bibly more-to put into the bar
ards for compost. TnIs will leave one hun
lied and fifty dollars as the cost OF the i'm
Jrovcment OF the III, ten acres. The land
will now be IN condition to bear grass or any
lOed crop, and will produce from one to two
ons OF hay per acre worth twenty-five dollars
yer ton, and the labor of obtaining the crop
will be much less than it was before the land
vas drained. Now apply manure and large
I'D valuable crops will be obtained. The
increased value OF the crop will in two or three
'tarS pay for all the work, while the land
will De worth double the price it would sell
or before 1t was improved. In some cases
he coat of draining will be three times as
drge as the figures we have given. Even
htse will pay. But there are host of farm
RS who can improve their land at the above
ates. Others still can do it cheaper. Others
AVE upland which does not produce all it
'ught. Occasional ploughing and heavy
lanuring will immensely increase their
rops.-Ihe Working Farmer.