The Republican journal., 1873-02-13
Farm, Garden, and Household.
Seeding to Grass.

best method of seeding down to grass.
Grass or hay is the principal crop grown in
the vicinity for market, and much attention
IS given to the cultivation of grasses and
the management of grassland Perhaps a
statement of our practice in seeding down
will be ot some service to others
OF course, the time ard manner OF seed
ing down must depend upon the character
OF the soil and its VARYING conditions; but
there are four methods generally adopted
here. viz seeding in the fail on inverted
sod; seeding in the spring on inverted
sod seeding in the spring with small
grain. and seeding in midsummer among
corn.
Little need be said in regard to the first
method We find, however. that to sue
ceed well here we must sow between the
10th Of September and the middle of Octo-
Der, and that about October lst is the
safest time. If sown earlier the seed may
Sprout and even root, and lhen if few hot
drying days occur the plants and seeds are
destroyed If sown later, there is danger
that cold weather may prevent the plants
from getting sufficient size and foothold to
stand the winter, and they may be killed or
thrown out of the ground by freezing This
time is also often chosen for seeding down
Old ground after a hoed crop has been
taken from the land, but we cannot clear
nf corn crop in season for this method.
still | should think the fields of your CORE
spondent c. in MARYLAND might be prepared
and safely sown after the removal of the
corn.
Sometimes the following course is pur-
sued The land, inverted sod or Old
ground, is put in good condition late in
autumn. and the seed is SOwn lust before
tile ground freezes, that it may settle into
In
earliest return Of spring In this course
there is danger that the washing of the
soil in winter will destroy the evenness of
the sowing by depositing the seed too
thlckly IN the lower parts OF the field, and
leaving other spots bare OF seed. To escape
mischief the second method is adopted
The land is put in good condition for She
seed late in autumn, and in March. or lust
az soon As the frost begins to come out of
The ground the seed is Sown. 1t is seldom
that the young plants are injured by the
heat of summer by this method. unless hot
and dry weather Immediately succeed the
cutting; but the crop is much less than
when it is sown the preceding September
The seed usually catches well: the honey
comb condition of the surface, produced
by successive freezing and thawinG Of the
surface before the frost is ont below, takes
in and covers the Sc ed sufficiently without
any labor thereon
The third notwithstanding down with
small grain-is not practised so much as it
was formerly. Our soil is good for barley,
aud it was formerly sown with the grass
seed. But good catch of the grass is now
the main object, and barley is but little
sown, as the young grass is often-most
0tten-seriOusly injured. and sometimes
wholly DESTROYED by the sun and wind on
the removal pf ba har +bo1,
denser shade while growing, and the youua
grass is always unhealthy ana tender when
the oats are taken off Wheat is never
soTn here We find rye to he less iniurious
than any other grain TO the grass hUt If
should be sown thin and reaped high. lpay-
ing a long stubble for the protection Of the
young grass. The grain thus obtained is
Of little account hut the straw brings a
higher price than the best hay.
The best catch and growth of grass are
obtained by the fourth mode sowing
among corn. In this method the manure
Is narrowed In fthougb sometimes a little
fine old manure is put under the cornN the
land is furrOwed, corn is plapted in hills
or rather in souarps without hills and M
hilling M is done in the cultivotion of tho
corn, but care is taken. To keen the oround
Level At the last workipo Of the corn
when it ia abnn+ two foot hinb Iboro +ba
latter part of july. the whole field is cone
over by the cultivator in one direction: and
then from time to time as opnortunitv and
the condition of the ground afford chance
to put in the seed. strins of the field are
cultivated in the other direction. heinz
careful TO cultivate only As much ~ can hn
seeded down at once. so "a 10 have newly
stirred soil for the seed whenever il is
sown. The seed is then sown over the
whole surface thus cross-cultiyated in the
same manner it would he were there no
growing corn upon the ground. Immodi
atey after thus sowing the seed, the land
should he worked over with a hand imple-
ment. either hoe to "cbop" the seed in
and level the surface, or. in more friable
soils, with steel rake to "brusb'' the soil
level, and thus cover the seed and leave
the surface all right. Grass thus sown
starts more evenly, and makes larger and