Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-06-18
The Grass Crop.
A Paper read 81 the MorTisTllle Meeting of III
Board of ofAErieulture, hy l. d. R. Colllus Esq.,o
Nolcott.

The great importance and value or the
grass crop to our Sisieis acknowledged BY
all. and yet | apprshend that compsra-
lively few Of our farmers are so fslly sen
siblc of It's relative Importance and value
compared with our other products as TO
lead them to careful study and patient ex-
psriments with n view 10 ascertain the
best methods to purse in the various op-
eraliOns connected wiih its production,
and utilization as fool for stock. This
may in measure. be accounted for by the
fact that while the yield aud value OF our
other farm crops depend so largely upon
the care and attention bestowed upon
them, both in the preparation of the soil
and its subsequent cultivation, while the
quality, amount aud method Of distribu-
tion of the seed. also has an important
bearing upon tho result, that the atten.
tion Of the farmer is almost necessarily di.
rected to study of the means and meth
ods required to attain the best results ;
while the grass crop is so nearly sfon-
taneous growth owing TO the favorable
conditions Of our soil and climate, that
less care and study has seemed necessary
to secure a crop.
Time was, before the opening Of CON-
oiunication by railroads with the grcat
West when the production of corn and
wheat in abundance Was Of vital impor-
tance to Vermont, but though these crops
are still important, they must now occu-
py a secondary place Our great crop.
that from which must come our profits in
the main, is the grass CROP, and this fact
should direct the attention of farmers to Il
more careful study Of the subject. The
actual Importance Of the grass crop to our
State is realized when We consider that
our annual product in tie form of cured
hay is not far from one million tons,
or about three tons to each man, woman
and child IN the State or reckoning it at
ten dollars per ton, thirty dollars per cap
i,u. Its relative importance is recognized
when We compare it with our other
leading crops.
fud in the report Of the department
of agriculture for 1865, Il have NOT the
census figures Of 1870 at hand. the fol-
lowing estimates Of tho value of our lead
ing farm crops for that year: Indian
Corn, S2;240;4S0 Wheat 81 1913, 740
Rye. S20l $50: Oats S3.04l $50 Bar.
ley, sl3l, ,040; Buekwheat, Sl6l, ,2S0l;
Potatoes 81. $50 600, amounting in all to
$40, ,260, 800; while the hay crop alone
of that year is estimated at Sl4 645, 600
When in addition to this VIC consider that
there is, at low estimate. one.third more
acres devoted TO pasturago than to hay,
We get a glimpse OF the large relative
proportion of the income Of the farming
community that comes from grass, and be.
gin to realize the Importance Of this crop.
| DO not propose, in this paper, 10 consid
er that branch of the sui ject relating tc
i. pasture lands, but shall confne myself tC
the hay crop.
Now if the value Of the hay crop car
be enhanced zen, fifteen or twenty pei
cent either by an increase to that amount
in quantity, or by improvement in quality
it will be readily seen that very great pc
cuniary advantages will accrue to us, ant
if the same improvement can be secured
: throughout the country, tho result will b'
n simply ;mpcnsc. That such . RESULT is
easily attainabe ir either direction l have
!. no doubt, and will now briefly direct you
attention to some of the means for sscur
ing an Improvement in the quality OF th'
: hay crop.
This may to certain extent be secures
v by tn use Of a greater variety. and &
g moro liberal quantity of seed than is usu
: ally practiced, taking care TO sow sucl
e varieties together as mature nearly at th'
p same time, and as are adapted to the sol
/ to be seeded. By following this course
greater variety of food will be supplied
it will be of finer. and consequent.
more acceptable quality; while. at th'
t same time, by thus occupying more full.
/ the whole surface of the ground with val
!. liable grass plants, those coarse and un
welcome weeds which are sure to to sprin,
up on thinly seeded lands will be excluded
: The extent to which this last result cal
o be attained will, of course, depend seme
}, what upon the condition Of the soil as re
). CARDS fertility aud previous cultivation
: but that very large increase iu the val
ue Of the hay crop, on most Of our farms
s. can in this way be secured. there is no
!. the most remote doubt. The most i'm
e portant point however, in my estimation
and the one in which reform is mos
> needed, is in regard to the time ard meth
; cd Of harvesting the crop.
l. On this point am aware thai my view
J. will be considered radical by many, an
Ic man be denounced as unscientific. Ii
Ia however, they have been proved true, b
3 repeated and careful experiment, and ar
. justified by reason, even though they ma
D. seem TO conflict with our ideas, or th
is teachings Of science, their truth must b
v admitted, and the seeming discrepanc
;s charged where it belongs, not to science
: for science is true, but to our misapprt
u tensions, or failure to understand all tn
n conditions involved. Repeated and care
es ful analyses Of different kinds of grass an
TO clover have been made. showing that the
,o contain the largest amount of those sui
stances necessary to tho susteuance an
'f growth of animals, at the period whe
< they had nearly reached maturity, 9
at about the time they are il. blossom. an
consequently it is recommended by nearl
all writers that grass be cut at that stag
of its growth. Now although this seen
he to be scientific and consequently SCUM
doctrine, am fully persuaded in my ov