The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-09-29
Farm. Garden and Household.


How an to prepare for n clover lot
tho side OF high, grayelly hill, red
clay subsoil, from which the Original
forest has just been cut? Reply by the
Hon. George Geddes
This hillside must be covered with
stumps, and is probably wanted for a
pasture, aud the owner wishes TO pet IL
into grass, and supposeB that clover
be the best crop toraise. Giving advice
based upon this Supposition, L would
DO to sow the ground this Fall with
wheat or rye, and SOW with the grim or
soon after it is sown four to six quarts
OF timothy seed and as much orchard
grass on each acre, and next spring.
lust as the frost is leaving the ground,
follow with six quarts OF clover seed.
The crop OF wheat or rye can be hnr.
rowed in among the stumps, and n toll.
erably good seed bed formed, and tho
three kinds Of seed will, in ali proba.
hllity take" on this new ground, and
after the grain crop is harvested the
grasses and clover will cover the whole
surface. In time the rootso Of the stumps
VIII rot away and natural grasses will
come in aid Of those sown, and per.
mAnent pasture will DO had on the
ground never plowed. Tho question
comes in such form that / am led to
inform the inquirer that red clover Is
not perennial, and that she can only
look for two years full growth from 1t.
ny using gypsum tplRster) on tho field
md not feeding it of very close, but
allowing some Of the clover to perfect
Its seed, there will some plants be
found mixed among tho grasses Of the
field always, but they will be but n small
part OF the whole crop OF pasture or
hay, whichever use may be made of the
field. Red clover is a plant that seeds
down into soil, long tap root, but
meyer covers the surface with dense
sod us do the natural grasses thus il
Is always best to SOW some OF the grasses
with the clover seed, when II is intended
that the field should not be very soop
plowed. White clover is plant Of
quite different habits, and has fibrou.
roots that do not reach far into the
ground. Here fields keep in perma.
nent pastures and plastered abound il
white clover that comes, no man knows
how, but here it is in great abundance
and makes tho best OF pastures fol
COWS giving milk. l have had pastures
that wero nearly MS white, when the
clover was in full bloom, M when GOV
cred with snow, and never sowed an,
seed OF white clover, nor has any othel
person, on the land. But plaster haf
been freely used and the land light,
pastured.
Feed for Producing Milk.
Tho Practical Farmer says: at il
well settled in the opinion OF our best
dnirymcn that bran greatly promotes
the milk secretion in cows, and IL is fed
almost universally. About equally
mixed with corn meal 1t promotes boil
quantity aud quality OF milk. From
several sources We hear that buckwheaI
bran is n great milk producer, and il
now being used among orr Chester
county da!rymen. in about the same
proportions as tho other" Thomas
Gawthrop, neAr West Grove, Chester
county, also by repeated trials with hil
own COWS has fully satisfied himself
that they do as well with corn and col
meal and brnn as with pure corn mea
and bran. The amount Of nutriment il
corn.cobs is so very small that this re
suit will have to DO explained on thu
supposition Of the ground cob acting t.
promote digestion by distending the
stomach. The presence Of bulky ma
terial being necessary TO promote dis
tension and to I'll up the stomach o.
Illuminating animals, before perfect di
gestion can be accomplished, is fire.
quently lost sight Of. Hungarian grasi
is also found for mich COWS to be rather
superior to the ordinary run Of hay
The last year or two Hungarian grass
has doomed up wonderfully in the esti
nation of our dairy farmers and
y large scope Of lind will be sowed with
1t the coming season. It natures fol
cutting in about sixty days, and pro
duces two to four tons per acre-thC
Inter OF course on good soils. Three
pecks to the acre is the usual allowance
OF seed. Where good hay market is
convenient, the substitution OF Hun.
garian grass Tor common hay in home
feedingwill be clear additional source
Of profit.
Green Food for Fowls.
The last requisite in the shape OF diet
is regular supply Of green food. Here,
again, fowls kept on grass will need nc
attention; but for birds penned up,
the daily provision is IN absolute neces
sity, though most beginners aro ignor
ant of 1t. We well remember, in OH
own early experience, how our fowl
died; we could not ut first tell why
oE1 nt,n N,,1 f,.,uF