Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-06
Farm AND GARDEN.
CLOVER AND GRASSES.

DOC Of Nashville we notice bluegrass,
~crocusses ard other plants beginning
TO grow, and admonish us that the time
las come to SOW clover seed and all
grass seeds that they may get inmate
early, strike root during the spring
rains, and take such hold of the ground
as TO be safe duringthe hot, dry weather
Of summer. Orchard grass grows at a
low temperature, and its seed should be
sown early. The sam remarks apply
TO all European grasses, including our
common red clover and the New York
giant clover, which is called sapling in
Maryland and Virgins. Rather than
delay seeding a wet piece of ground till
late in order that it might get dry
enough to pillow, we would harrow it
well, and seed without blowing. This
we have frequently done and had a
good set of grass. Autumn plow-
ing when the ground is mod
erately dry is always best; but a sharp
harrow, which is not too wide nor too
light, drawn by a good quick team,
tears up the soil on new land, full of
roots, better than the pillow. In New
York farming new land full of stumps
and roots is not plowed when seeded to
grass, wheat, rye, cats or clover. In
old times, oxen were preferred to har-
row rough fields, instead of horses or
mules. Southern farmers do not ap-
preciate the 7alue of two or three first
rate harrows for tillage purposes in
preparing seed beds. Hitch two yoke
of spry oxen to 4 strong harrow. with
steel teeth, and a hand can do as much
work as FIVE hands, each with a horse
and bull-tongue plow can to stir
and tear up the soil. A bunch Of
orchard grass is worth a thousand
times more to the farmer than the cost
OF one small seed, Of which a bushel
only weighs fourteen pounds. Steady
the gain OF a thousand for one. 4 man
who lends a dollar for twelve months
and receives two in return, gets his leo
per cent. interest On his money. Should
he gain ten dollars the interest Is 1000
per cent; and if the return be one hun
dred dollars the interest is 10000 per
cent. Every farmer should be famil-
lar with the powers of reproduction IN
vegetable and animal life, of which,
that IN grass and clover is most con-
~spicuOus and valuable. To favor their
wide distribution by wind, grass seeds
are exceedingly light as a general fact,
and many spread far and near, Ike
our common sedge. They have great
tenacity of life and pass unframed
through the bodies Of our farm stock
and Wild buffalo, and grow from their
excrements. To neglect grass and
clover is the worst agricultural
mistake a farmer can make; because
a clover seed viii form a plant
worth for cows and other animals, a
thousand times more than itself. Be-
fore the plant dies to fatten the soil
with rotting organic matters drawn
from the atmosphere, and minerals
taken from the deep sub-soil, one may.
if he thinks best, cut three harvests OF
good hay. OF course, the crops are
small from one seed and root; but
are they as small as one clover seed:
Every farmer knows that the grass OF
hay grown is ~equalto a thousand clover
seeds; nor is it difficult to gather a
thousand seeds from the heads that
grow on n root IN a summer and fall
a good clover root is worth more fol-
manure than the cost of one hundred
cloTer seeds on any farm. If this
statement be true, and ii il
based on fifty years experience
and the reader wants manur L
make his soil a little richer
and actually needs that manure not il
a stable or cow-yard, but evenly dis
tribu:ed IN the ground, to save the ex
pense OF carting and spreading anC
blowing in, why lot raise a big crop o
clover roots and get precisely wha.
your land requires? Why is it thai
farmers are so slow to discover the fac,
that everything of value in ~agricultur,
IS based on vitality and growth? l
there was no life and no growth Their
could be no farmers nor farming. A
every cultivatOr Of the soil deals who'll,
with vegetable and animal life, thei
possibilities on his farm should be care
fully investigated. He may invest on
dollar in clover seed and another Il
orcherd grass seed. SOW both on an acr
of good land, and ultimately realize
fortune cut Of the vitality of hi
crops, or the seeds he may rails
and increase from year 70 year, indef
nitelv. These seeds are worth te
cents a pound now, and not likely
be much cheaper IN ten or one hundre
years. In addition to seeds he WI
have an income from hay and graziny
The business Of the farmer is to uti
Use the best plant-life that God hs
placed within his reach. Because tai
is not now done, Tennessee has TWEEN;
million acres Of fair farming land tn;
produces no crop Of any considerab
value. Many think this unfruitfulne
arises from a lack Of laboring peopl
which is a great mistake. The dcfe
lies in a deficiency Of close scientii
thinking and acknowledgement ina de
cheney of human bones. sinews OF mu
cles.