Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-08-26
Apualtural
For The New England Farmer
Ea!g Seeding Of Grass Land.

mOyal of the summer crop. Accounts
oil the kinds OF soil, the methods and re-
sails must interest many OF Your readers;
for. since grass or hay il coming 10 be
the New England farmers most profit
able crop. il behOOves him To know how to
make the most of il; and certainly al he
can secure field 10 grass year sooner,
by sowing the seed in The autumn, and at
the same time save the exhaustive draft
OF an oat crop to the soil. 1t must be
worth while.
The Reform School.
Manchester, Y. H.. J5tly -, 1872.
RrNiARKs.-Our own experience teach
Is Us that there is no better time to seed
down grass land than natures time.
which is early in the fall. or Just after the
seed is ripe on the stems Of the present
years crop OF hay Several OF the early
grasses drop their seeds in July timothy
and red,op DO so early in August.
We have one advantage over natures
method. She usually sows on the sur
face and on sward land that is already
covered with plants that are likely to
hold their own against the feeble growth
of tho young grass.
By having our land rich. and in the
best condition. and by giving IL up
wholly to the grass crop, we are enabled
TO get good catch il the seed is sown
several weeks later than il is usually
done by 10y natures process. So instead
OF sowing in July or the first OF August.
wc can often succeed even rs late as the
first of October.
We once sowel 4 moist field that was
in The very best possible condition. ON
the 20th Of July, and was obliged to
NOW of heavy crop the same year to
prevent loss by smoihering in winter.
We have sowed timothy, a bushol TO
the acre. the first week in August. and
had a Sward that was as strong against
winter killing as any old field. We have
sowcd as late as October and took Sp,en-
did crops OF hay the following season;
and then again, in some years, We have
had fields sowed in October. torn al. TO
pieces by the lreezings and thawinss Of
the following winter, SO that it became
necessary 10 SOW on seed again in spring.
We ind it convenient TO lay down land
to grass in both fall and spring.
II we had a field that was now in grass
and needed re.seediug. we would turn il
over doing the work very thoroughly
and scedit this fall as soon as possible
the earlier the better. Sward land can.
not be put in condition 10 push grass
along Ike land tha, has been made line
Jy culliva,iug crop OF potatoes; aud
july or August Is none too early Tor such
seeding. Bu; if the land Is now under
cultivation with some hoed crop, and IS
made fine and mellow, and light diess.
inc Of manure Is applied on the surface
lust before seeding, we should not heSi-
tate to SOW anytime before the middle Of
September. in our latitude. Ii We sow
edanytime during the next four weeks,
we should consider we were taking q rsS,
and should be willing to pay something
90 have insured
Whether t. SOW in spring or fall.
must depend in great measure on the
Kind Of crops grown. Since the advent
of the Early Rose potatoe, we have seed.
ell alllands on which this crop has grown,
in the fall. Il is always of in ample
time to allow The grass to get 4 strong
hold on the soil before freezing weather.
The carly paintings OF fodder corn are
always out OF the way in season for lall
seeding. and field com. if cut mp and
shocked or the ground on which it grow.
is usually out el the way 10 season to re-
seed in the FALL But If allowed to stand
till ripe. the risk oil winter killing would
be too great for Us to run.
In such cases. some very successful
farmers are in the habit of sowing jus, as
late as they think the ground will remain
open,-so late that the seed will not GER
inmate ill the following spring. This is
delicate point 20 hit; but when the hit
is lucky one, it works first rate. The
seed lies in the soil perfectly dormant ill
the warm weather in spring starts it III
TO lie. The advantages Of this practice
over spring sowing is, that, if done in
the fall. it is done and out of the way.
xnd il will start frequently some weeks
earlier than it could if sown in the iol-
lowing spring. This Is especially the
case on land that is apt TO DC little too
We, to work early in spring.
Ii, however, the weather holds warm a
few days after sowing. the seed is liable
to spgout and be destroyed by the lrcez-
ings during the winter. The risks are so
great, in oul locality, that We have not
adopted this mode OF seeding to any eX-
tent. Perhaps further north where the
winters set Ia more reliably, and where
the ground Is generally covered with
snow from Thanksgiving till Fast-Gay,
this method would be attended with less
risk than with Us here on the sea coast.
where the winters are SO changeable.
We agree with you thai the grass or
hay crop Is comm. to be the New Eng
land farmers most profitable crop; and
that we should no longer give it a sec
ondary place in our systems OF rotation.
II a crop of oats or any other grain can
be shown 70 be an advantage TO the grass