The enquirer southerner., 1874-07-31

ASASAy oSSouoS ChSlA AdGuCIS . UClOI {
them had travelled in the same
routine for generations gone by.
But, thanks to the institution of the
thousands of farmers clubs and
associations, to say nothing Of the
innumerable oranges, that are be>
ing established everywhere, of the
" Patrons of Husbandry,'' whom it
is to be hoped will eventually be
found engaged in the same good
work of their brethren of the plough,
organized under other titles, in the
dissemination of useful information
among their fellow-craftsmen. A
better day is approaching for the
tillers of the soil, who are now Just
realizing that they are power in
the State, and that they have a
right to be heard in the legislation
Of the country, and that their wish.
es shall no longer be disregarded
by the demagogues who have too
frequently used the power given to
them by the people for their own
aggrandizement and emolument at
the expense of their constituents.
Flint, in his great work on grass
es and forage plants, describes 124
varieties of grass, natural and arti>
fetal, known in his own State alone
Massachusetts,, a few of which we
shall allude to at this time, among
those best known to our section.
Timothy for herd grass, as it is
called in New England) is more
generally cultivated than any of
the other cultivated grasses, and is
considered as unsurpassed By any
other to cut for hay. 1t is liked
by all kinds of stock, and is be-
lieved to contain more nutritive
matter than any other of the grass
es. 1t is somewhat coarse and
hard, if it is allowed to ripen its
seed, but if cut in the blossom or
directly after, it is much relished.
With us it is generally sown with
the wheat in the fall, and followed
by sowing clover on the same field ;
but some of the best practical farm
ers are beginning to discontinue
this practice on account of the diff
ference in the time of blooming of
the two crops, especially when the
ordinary June clover is used. The
timothy being invariably later, it
must be cut too green, before blos>
soming, when the loss is great by
shrinkage, and when the nutritive
matter is considerably less than
at later period, or else, the clover
must stand too long, when there is
an equally serious loss of nutritive
matter in that. Mr.. ira Porter,
in a very interesting paper upon
this subject, read before the Wes>
tern New York Butter Makers AS
sociation and Farmers Club, says
that timothy seems not we'll suited
to light, sandy or gravelly soil. but
on soil moist or loamy it grows very
readily and produces large and
profitable crops. In wet seasons
fine crops have been known to be
produced upon gravelly soil, but
with a dry spring and early sum-
mer it is hardly worth growing. In
one respect timothy is greatly in>
ferior to some other varieties, that
is, in the quantity of its aftermath,
especially if allowed to stand until
too ripe and then moved in a dry
time. 1t starts so slowly as to
leave the ground exposed to the
scorching rays Of the sun, unless
there happens to be rapid growth
of clover to protect it.
The Red Top, or as it is called
in the Middle States, herd grass,
should be sown upon all fields in
tended for pasture, and, though
common to all, it is especially suit>
ed on moist soil ; it makes on such
soils a good, permanent grass for
permanent pastures. 1t should be
fed close, for if allowed to grow up
to seed the cattle refuse it, and the
fact would seem to show that it is
not so well relished by stock as
some other grasses.
Orchard Grass is pronounced by
Flint as one of the most valuable
and widely known of all the pasture
grasses. We have for years been
endeavoring to have the grass more
generally introduced among oul
farmers in this section, and we are
gratifed in knowing that it as wei
as lucerne, and miller and Hunga'
rian grass are being now very gen
orally adopted among the farmer:
of the Middle and Southern States
We have noticed in one of the
agricultural journals of this State
that farmer of Prince George
county has this season cut off three
acres of this grass, sown with oats
in the spring of 1873, near eigh
tons Of hay. 1t is considered les
exhausting to the land than timothy
| and will endure considerable shade:
in porous soil its fbrous root
extend to great depth; it is no
recommended as suitable for lawl
grass. For soiling grass it i
most excellent, and some of tn
most successful dairy farmers at th'
North give it the highest characte
for its good qualities for this pur
pose. 1t is also a most abiding
grass, and is probably bette
adapted than any other to SOW wit
clover in the spring, and other seed