Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-08-26
agricultural.
Seeding Grass in the Fall.

August is undoubtedly the best month of
the twelve for reseeding moving fields
without planting. Moving lots that are
badly run out where the valuable grasses
are dead and their places filled by inferior
sorts, should be turned over now, and
after receivinga thorough working and Il
coat of manure, be seeded to those kinds
of grass which it is desirable to grow. II
sown early in the month, clover will be
about rs sure to live as if sown In spring
On the 30th of last August, we sowed a
field to winter rye, for fodder, to be cut
green in the spring With the rye was
sown timothy edtop and clover The
field had been in potatoes and was IN eX-
eellent order for grass. The rye was out
last May. and now, July %, second crop
is headed out and the seed forming while
underneath is heavy crop of clover in
full bloom and ready for the mower. We
have sown clover with other grass several
tunes before, in the month of August,
and always with the most satisfactory
results.
In turning over grass land for immedi-
ate seeding, it s very important to have
the work carefully and thoroughly done
A swivel plough has especial advantages
here above other ploughs. Where fields
hoed crops are grown the following year,
the dead burrows and ridges made by COM
mon Landslide ploughs get somewhat filled
I'D and leveled eff, but this is not the case
when fields are Immediately reseeded on
the inverted sod AS no other ploughing
follows this, it is desirable to have as few
dead burrows and headlands rs possible,
and there is no plough equal TO the swivel
for keep NO the land level
We have often spoken of the merits of
these ploughs over those with stationary
mouldboards, and it seems strange to Us
that thew do not come into more general
use. Farmers seem to have the impress
sion that they are only tit for side hills,
which is 1t great mistake. We have never
seen better work done by any plough than
has been done on our own land, with one
of J. B. Small's HolbrOOk ploughs, when
properly rugged, with a long yoke OF
evener, and the wheel. cutter and draw
chain all adjusted just right
When u soil is laid over IN burrows eight
inches deep, and fourteen to fifteen inches
wide, averaging this by the acre, and all
laid completely bottom side up, with the
grass completely buried, with but one
open furrow and but one which is doubled
over, we think we have field that is well
ploughed If one is very particular, he
can carry the first furrow across in Il cart
and with it fill the last open one. This
leaves the whole field as level rs before
ploughng, and in the best possible c'ndi
ton for he moving machine and Other
haying implements.
A Shares harrow OF some of the late
improved wheel harrows should follow the
plough.
I he Shares has given us perfect salts
faction but the newer ones might make u
dissatisfied with i, if we were to try them
The Randall certainly looks as if it woulC
do as good work and perhaps draw more
easily. Whatever kind is used, it shOulC
be drawn over the ground several times Il
intervals of a few days
1t is a mistake many make, i'll fall seed
ing on inverted sod, that they do not hal
cultivate and pulverize the surface soil
1t cannot be done in one day. 1t need
time for the land to dry and crumbl
during and between the borrowings. Fou
borrowings, Il couple of days apart, are
probably better than six done in one day
Many farmers who cannot succeed witt
grass sown alone in spring, on account o
the weeds, are quite successful with sucl
seeding when done in August or even lat
are so troublesome in spring. are sool
killed by frost in autumn and do very littl
harm to the grass.
1t is of no use to seed on an inverted so
without liberal application of some kin
of fertilizer, either home made or CONNER
cial On fields which have been manure,
for hoed crops one OF more years, there
generally Il good p rtion-or should be
of fertilizing material left in the soil, o
which the grass can feed, but on an inveI
ted sod there is very little ready food suita
Bile for young grass. We think it almos
always pays to apply Il dressing of rotte
manure TO grass at seeding time, but o
inverted sward, it is absolutely necessary
If the land i, good and all parts of tn
work well done. a full crop of grass ma
be counted upon with certainty next yeal
-Nea0 England Fttrnasr.