The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1874-02-07
n'1skt Hatm.
On the Cultivation Of Orchard Grass.
From the Baltimore american.

From the Baltimore american.
We have for many years been the
advocate of sowing orchard grass as
one of the most valuable of the grasses
for the farmer having dairy cows, but
it is only within few years past that
the advice appears to have been accept
ed and acted upon by farmers; and
now we are glad to find that it is being
very generally adopted. We think,
and have always so advised, that it is
better to SOW it early in the Spring
with clover seed, although some think
it advisable to sow it by itself. If the
formerplan is pursued the clover should
be sown first in the usual way, and
afterwards the orchard grass to follow.
Put the seed of the latter on floor
and moisten it with water slowly pour
ed from a watering pot, the seed being
thoroughly turned over during the pro-
cess and shovelled into pile, and thus
remain in bulk twelve hours before be-
ing sown, mixing it with twice its bulk
effect evenness of distribution. The
two grasses mixed make q much better
hay than clover does alone; greater
production is secured at the first cut
ting, while the afterswarth is much
larger, and the pasture in the Fall will
be more luxuriant and enduring, and
the liability to hoven in cattle less than
when clover is eaten alone. They both
come into bloom about the same time,
when they should be cut, as the objec
ton to coarseness in orchard grass is
thus avoided. We will have occasion
to further speak on the cultivation, and
particularly on the harvesting and pre-
serving of it. In the meantime here
we will add some remarks upon the
value of this grass by an enthusiastic
farmer in the Rural New Yorker"
and his appreciation of it is fully con-
frmed by Mr.. Croser, a celebrated
dairyman in that State, who attributes
the salvation almost during last years
drought of his stock to having provid-
ed himself with heavy crop of orchard
grass. As to the superiority of the
plan of sowing it by itself, there may
be difference of opinion. We, how
ever, give the writer's own description
of his trial:
al have had farmers remark to me
that they could not do without clover.
l say that no farmer can afford to be
without orchard grass. For pasture,
orchard grass is worth twice as much
as clover. One acre of orchard grass
will afford as much pasture as two of
clover, and cattle will fatten faster on
it. A very grave objection to clover,
and one which | have never known to
happen with orchard grass, is that cat
tie frequently eat too much of it, and
sometimes Gle from the effects thereof
For hay, there is nothing that ] know
of that can equal orchard grass. Clo-
yer does not yield as much by one
third, and l have always found more or
less difficulty in selling clover hay ;
whereas | have never had enough
orchard grass hay to supply the de-
mand, the orchard grass hay always
selling for from 10 to 90 cents per 100
pounds more than the clover hay
By cutting orchard grass twice, it
will always yield enough more than
timothy to pay you handsomely for
your trouble, and leave the land in bet
ter condition than the timothy. In
sowing for hay l prefer to mix a little
clover with the orchard grass. Not
because I think the orchad grass does
better when mixed with clover seed, as
some people imagine, but because l
think mixture Of grasses will always
make more hay, and the hay is relished
more by stock when mixed
Some people go so far as to say that
orchard grass is of very little account
unless it is mixed with clover. I made
an experiment on a piece of ground on
which there was no clover, and by care
full working killed all grass. l then, in
March, 1872, sowed two bushels of
orchard grass seed to the acre, by
itself; obtained fine set, and in 1878
l first cut fine crop of seed from it,
and then cut two good crops of hay
after which considerable of aftermath
came up, thus proving Ito my satisfac-
ton, at least, the incorrectness of the
theory that orchard grass will not do
we'll alone What led to this theory
was this: That orchard grass always
does best on rich land and on rich
land clover very often comes without
seeding. while on poor land it never
does-thus seeing the two growing
together on the rich spots, and the
orchard grass looking better there than
anywhere else, they gave the clover
the credit instead of the rich soil.
If you wish to raise seed, YOU must
sow it by itself Orchard grass and
timothy should never be sown together,
as there is nearly months difference
in their time of maturity.
To sum up the whole in a few words,
my experience and observation on
orchard grass has been as follows :
For pasture, it has no equal; for hay
in quantity and quality, it cannot be
excelled and for seed, no other grass
is half as profitable as orchard grass.
Do not be disappointed with it the
first year. Like many of our best
grasses, it takes two or three years to