Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-02
Improving Grass Land.

INmany instances, where it is desirable
to keep land in grass, the better way is to
plough the ground in August or early in
September; harrow the surface thorough
ly, roll it if lumpy and re-seed it. If one
has a generous supply of barn-yard man
ure, we'll rOtted, to spread over the sur
face, he can count on heavy burden of
grass the following season. But, if the
land is in low state of fertility, it will
be Of but little use to pillow and re-seed,
unless dressing of manure is applied.
In lieu OF barn yard manure, half ton of
bone dust per acre will aid materially in
producing a paying crop Of grass the
next season. The bone-dust should be
narrowed in with a light harrow or be
covered with brush harrow or with
brush after the seed is sowed. When land
is not plowed or re-seeded III August or
September, October or November is an
excellent time to break up sod land for
planting the following spring, with
view of re-seeding it after one or two
crops Of grain have been removed. Sod
land broken up early in autumn will be
quite free from growing grass and weeds
the following spring, the roots of the late
overturned sod being so generally killed
by the immediate succeeding winter that
not much grass will start readily in the
spring. Most kinds of insects will be
either destroyed or their depredations
materially checked by late fall blowing,
especially the common grub and the cut
worm; but if the ground is plowed in
September, and a crop Of corn cultivated
the next season, the cut-wOrm will often
destroy the entire crop. If the soil is
heavy and disposed to be lumpy the frosts
of winter disintegrate the plOwed land,
and it will readily crumble in fine parti-
Giles in the spring, so that a mellow seed
bed can be easily made. The chemical
changes and notifications resulting from
atmospheric action during winter develop
latent fertility in the upturned burrows,
which, together with mellowing influ-
ences, will materially increase the crop
and thus prepare the ground for heavy
crop of grass. Corn stubble land may be
plowed late in the fall, and thus be
ready for very early sowing in the spring,
therefore going far to insure good catch
of grass, the roots of the new seeding get
ting hold well, or being well established
before the droughts of summer come
on. Most land in New England and
in many other States needs deeper
pillow ing than has generally been prac,
ticed. When the subsoil is fine grained
a hard pan of good quality, then deep
blowing may at once be resorted to with
decided advantage. When the subsoil is
poorer, the blowing may still be advan-
tageously deepened by degrees, say
an inch at each new breaking up. But
in majority of cases, deep blowing
may be practiced at once-indeed, it may
be the rule with safety, while shallow
blowing may be the exception. On most
farms it will be safe to pillow say nine, ten,
eleven or twelve inches deep in Novem-
ber The subsoil turned up will grow
several shades darker by spring. The
frost and atmospheric influence of winter
will mellow the soil. Inorganic elements
and all the latent fertility will be made
more active for benefiting the crop. In
the spring spread the manure and pillow it
in, or otherwise work it in or mingle it
with the soil to the depth say of four
inches, or little more or less, and you
have the best attainable condition for pro-
ducing good crops. Deeper blowing may
be safe and expedient, if the plowlng
ure in autumn, apply it on the surface
after the ground is Dlowed, and harrow it
in. 1t is not a good practice 10 cover
manure in the bottom of deep burrows.
Manure should always be kept near the
surface of the ground. But the sooner it
can he covered with little soil the small
er the loss will be by evaporation.
One of the chief advantages of blowing
land in late autumn is that the weather is
then cool and bracing, and the team strong
and hearty for the work while the weather
in the spring is more relaxing and the
team less able; and the spring work be-
inr always hurrying, it saves time to dis
| patch as much of the plowing as possible
| during the previous autumn. Now is
proper time to review the plans and oper-
atoms Of the farm and to decide what
fields or plots Of ground ought to be brok-
en- up at once, and which may remain to
be plowed in late autumn.-Neao York
Herald
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