Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-07-17
Sowing Grass Seed Where There Is No
Grain.

The notion is prevalent that it is es-
sential to the life and growth of young
grass to raise crop of some kind of
grain while the tender spears are becom-
ing sufficiently rooted to endure the dry
and hot weather. But the shading of the
ground is not essential to the growth of
clover or grass, unless the seed be sowed
very late in the spring or during the sum
mer, and where the soil is not rich and
mellow On moderately fertile and mel
low soils, though no crop of grain be
allowed to grow, clover or grass seed of
any kind will ordinarily succeed much
better than otherwise. If the soil be
quite poor and likely to parch during
droughts a small quantity of rye per acre
will afford the young grass the benetlt OF
some shade. Grass needs no shade, even
in dry weather, after it has itself become
large enough to shade the ground, but is
benefited by the sun and air quite as
much as other plants, Another consid-
Grafton not to be overlooked is that any
crop occupying the ground with the
young grass withdraws both nutri-
ment and moisture from the soil,
which might essentially benefit the
more important but feebler crop There
is probably no better grain than rye to
SOW where field is to be stocked down
to clover or grass. Wheat is second to
rye in this respect, and is superior to
oats and barley, which are quite oblec-
tionable, when the usual quantity
is sown per acre, on account
of the large leaves and thick
bottom growth, which is liable to choke
the young grass, while rye shoots upward
rapidly and does not grow thickly at the
bottom. Were oats and barley sowed
thinner on the ground than usual for a
full crop of grain, grass might grow quite
as well as with a crop of rye. Another
point in favor of rye is, it usually keeps
erect better than either oats or barley,
On light soils where there is so much
humus or vegetable mold as to cause a
large growth of straw, if the grain lodges,
as it often does, almost every spear of
grass will be killed. As spring rye is
often a good crop to grow in four OF
five years rotation, many farmers will
find it profitable to arrange their
rotation so as to raise spring in pref
erence to winter rye when land is to
be stocked down. For farmers the fol
lowing directions will be of little or nc
value, and may appear quite untimely
but many need the eXhortation; As
most of our grass is cut with horse-mow'
ers it is quite important that the surface
should be smooth, free from knolls, hol'
| lows, dead furrows, ridges and clOds
Even if it be moved by hand, the sur
| face ought to be smooth, so that the grass
| NAV be cut close to the ground. Where
there are knolls and hollows the most ex
peditious way is to level the knolls will
team and dirt-scraper, either aftel
or previous to plowing. When there
are ridges formed by back furrowing re
peatedly in one place, turn back furrowl
into hollows and finish off lands with deaC
burrows where the ridges are. BY meas
uring the distance from ridges to burrows
| even where they are not uniform, thI
| dead furrows may be made IN the desired
place. After the ground has been suf
| ticiently narrowed, if there be loose sod
and Jumps of earth, throw them into tn
| lowest places with manure forks ant
make the surface as smooth as practi
cable. Then roll and SOW grass seed. Thi
will form not only smooth surface t,
work on when harvesting the grain, bu
will be smooth for the mower, horse rak
and loaded wagon or cart when cuttin
and gathering the crops. A few hour
spent in this manner will not only i'm
prove the appearance of the surface OF
field, but be n source of much profit whel
harvesting the grain. Sometimes drivin
storms occur just before grain is nit L
harvest, which prostrates large propol
tion of it. Then especially if the SUI
face of the ground be smooth the graf
can be cut much more advantageous
than if it be covered with dirt, Jumps an
sods, or be indented with numerous sma
hollows. When land is stocked down
should be so mellow and fine that ther
will be no difficulty in making the surfac
quite even and smoothly. Y. Herald.