Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1873-02-14
AGRICULTURAL.
SEEDING TO GRASS.


dents often ask for the best method of seeding
down to grass Grass or hay is the principal
crop grown in this vicinity for market, and
much attention is given to the cultivation OF
grasses and the management of grass land
Perhaps statement of our practice in seeding
down will be Of some service to others.
OF course the time and manner Of seeding
down must depend much upon the character OF
the soil aud lis varying conditions: but there
are four methods generally adopted here, viz
seeding down in the fall on inverted sod
seeding in the spring on inverted sod; seeding
in tho spring with small grain, and seed
ING in midsummer among corn.
Little need be said in regard to the first
method. Te find, however, that TO succeed
here We must SOW between the 10th Of Sept.
and the middle Of Oct, and that about Oct.
lst is the safest time. If sown earlier the seed
may sprout and even root, and then if few
hot drying days occur the plants are destroyed.
If they are sown later, there is danger that cold
weather may prevent the plants from getting
sufficient size and foothold TO stand the win
ter, and they may be killed or thrown out of
the ground by freezing. This time is also cho-
sen for seeding down old ground after head
crop has been taken from the lana, but we
cannot here clear of the corn crop in season
for this method. STILL l should think the
fields of your correspondent c. in Maryland
might be prepared and safely sown after the
removal of the corn.
Sometimes the following course is pursued ::
The land, inverted sod or old ground, is put
in good condition late in autumn, and the seed
is sown just before the ground freezes that it
may settle into the soil and be ready TO grow
on the earliest return of spring. In this course
there is danger hat.the washing of the soil
will destroy the evenness of the sowing by de-
posting the seed too thickly in the lower parts
of the field and leaving other spots bare of
seed. TO escape this mischief the second meth
cd is adopted. The land is put in good con-
dition fer the seed late in autumn, and in
March, or just as soon as the frost begins to
come out of the ground, the seed is sown. 1t
the heat Of summer in this method, unless hot
and dry weather Immediately succeed the cut
ting but the crop is much less than when it is
sown the preceding September. The seed usu-
ally catches well the honey-comb condition
of the surface, produced by successive freezing
and thawing Of the surface before the frost is
out below, takes in and covers the seed sufli-
GENTLY, without any labor thereon.
The third notwithstanding down with small
grain--is not practiced so much as il was for
merly. Our soil is good for barley, and it was
formerly sowa with the grass seed. But a good
catch of the grass is now the main object, and
barley is but little sown, as the young grass is
often seriously injured, and sometimes wholly
destroyed by the sun and wind on theremoval
of the barley. Oats are worse in this respect
than barley, ms they make deuser shade while
growing and the young grass is always I'M
healthy and tender when the oats are taken off
Wheat is never sown here. We find rye to be
less injurious thanany other grain to the grass
but it should be sowed thin and reaped high
leaving long stubble for the projection of the
young grass. The grain thus obtained is of
little account, but the straw brings higher
price than the best hay.
The best catch and growth of grass are OBJ
tanned by the fourth mode-sowing among
corn. In this method the manure is narrowed
in Though sometimes little fine manure is
put under the corn) the land is furrowed
corn is planted in hills, and no killing up is
done in the cultivation of the corn, but care is
taken 10 keep the ground level. At the last
working Of the corn, when il is about two feet
high, the whole field is gone over with the
cultivator in one direction and then from time
TO time as opportunity and the condition Of
the ground afford a chance to put in the seed,
strips Of the field are cultivated in the other
direction, being careful 20 cultivate as much as
can be seeded at once, so as to have newly stir
red soil for the seed Whenever it is sown. The
seed is then sowu over the whole surface thus
crosscultivated in the same manner it would
be were there no growing corn upon the
ground. Immediately after thus sowing the
seed, the land should be worked over with n
hand implement, either hoe TO 'chop
the seed in and level the surface, or, in more
trable soils, with steel rake to brush tht
soil level, and thus cover the seed and leave
the surface all right. Grass thus starts more
evenly, and makes larger and healthier
growth before winter than it does in any Other
manner, and yields full crop the next sum
mer. The growing corn shades it from tht
heat and drought Of August without Sitting
it, and the removal of the corn lets in the sur
and air just the right time TO have it harden W
before winter. When the corn is harvested i
Is cut up at the ground, and tho next April
while the ground is soft, workman with ,
large long-handled mallet made for the pnr
pose, or light beetle, goes over the grouu,
driving all the corn stubs Gin two rows at
tramp into the ground, and out of the way @
the mower and rake. This method require
more hand labor than any of the others. bu
the advantages of it are so great as amply I
compensate for the extra labor. So much ca,
and labor as We bestow upon the process hel
might not be best where both land and hay A,
cheap; or in such localities, or where lar,
field Is to be seeded, it might be sufficient
go over the land after the seed is sown with
caltiyator, lightly, or with narrow harro,
made for the purpose, Of brush, or with sho
teeth. This would leave the ground in tole
able good order for the moving machine at
horse rake, and would save most of the mai
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