Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-03-25
agricultural.
Sowing Grass Seed,


For pasture, sow redtop, orchard grass
June grass, and sweet scented vernal. fol
the principal kinds, to which may be addet
meadow foXtail, meadow fescue, yellow
Oatgrass and others. Mr. Film, in his
fourth annual report of the Agriculture o
Massachusetts, adds to the above list, hare
fescue, tall tescue, two kinds of rye grass
wood meadow era s, rough-sttlked mead
ow grass, timothy, and two kinds of Glove
Mr.. Harris Lewis + lie is to buy, for pas
ture, all the different kinds you can think
of, and then buy all the kinds the dealers
can think of. The Object of having MIN ,
kinds is To obtain succession of varieties
coming to maturity all through the season
If you would sow ut the very best time OF
the whole year, sow in August; and il
YOU would have the q OunI in the very
best possible condition, put on a COOL coat
of manure this spring. and plough and
cultivate the land every two;or three weeks
all summer. till there is not weed seed
left unsprouted in the soil IF there were.
no seeds in the manure. it would he nc
well to apply that later in he season. say
in June or July, but not too late to Give il
= thorough rotting and mixing in the soil
1t Is Il mistaken notion that a grain cro,
tainly impOverishes the soil and the advan-
ta@es OF shade are more imaginary than
real. \ little shade would do no harm
and might be beneficial if it could be OBJ
tanned from standing dend straw, but Il
crop of grooming straw takes from the soil
4 large amount of both water and plant
food. enough in dry weather to seriously
weaken, it not to entirely destroy he younG
In I
grass will often live and do we'll when
sOwn with Il grain crop.
We have had very GOOD success sovinr
grass with winter rye to be cut and fed ont
green rs sOiling crop. In this case the
rye is off so early N the season. before the
usual time of our summer drouphts tn +
the grass has time to get well established
One of the worst, if not the worst crop to
90 with grass Is oats. especially if allowed
to 90 to seed. If we were going to seed
piece to permanent pasture, we should
try to make Il good job of it. We are ant
TO try to get too much from our land for
the amount of labor and manure apnlied
If we were not limited in the amount of
manure for piece of pasture we might
crop with potatoes. then corn. to be fol
lowed by oats or other grain. This is the
land, only there is generally no more ma
nure applied to all these crops than wonII
be profitable for the grass alone
We do not believe in raising half croos.
1t costs nearly rs much for labor as for
full crops. So if we were renovatino an
old pasture, we would plough it at any CON
venient time during the summer. preferinp
June. Then harrow and cross plough till
1t was as mellow as Il garden. PeonIe
used to think 1t was necessary to plant a
field in order to get it fine and in condition
to seed down.
We can cultivate much cheaper where
there Is no crop, than where there is.
The work can all be done with the team
and Just rs often us the ground would be
benehted by the working, while if a crop
OF corn or potatoes We're growing. there
would be several weeks when no cultiva-
ting could be done.
The best success we ever had i'm SEEDING
to gras' was on land which had been sum
mer titled, as We have proposed above
One lot was an old pasture, and was not
cropped ut all. Another had been plan
ted, and we intended to seed it early in the
spring. but press of work and frequent
storms prevented getting it readv till the
"ACl II WIS ~Ohttl 10 UlnlO-
thy alone, nearly bushel to the acre.
he lot had been cultivated over every ten
days or two weeks all summer, and was
rs light and fine field for sowin" as need
be. The result was. the grass grew so
much that we were obliged to NOW it that
tall and harvested a splend d crop of hav.
we hnuld treat grass and hay more as
spec Ial crops. If they are worth grow =
ing at all, they are worthy of special cul
ture, and particularly is this true of a
pasture that is to be kept in grass for II
long term of years " lille about it. Won
might as well do the work as thoroughly
rs you know how. If you are short of
manure, do not use upa large part of it !
by growing nOn-paying crops of corn and
potatoes, but keep the whole of it for the
benefit OF the pasture. If your pasture is
not IN the very best condition for seeding
This spring, we should advise to take the
summer to put it into such condition.
hen, some time in August, put on the
seed, and expect a crop next wear that
will look so well You will NOW it for hay
which will be better plan than to feed it
he first year.-COr. N. Z. Farmer.