The Republican journal., 1874-01-22
Farm, Garden and Household,
Feeding Moving Lands.

| hear it said that farmers are saving
much hay this open weather; cattle man
age to pick up much in the fields. Indeed,
IN my riding | see, sometimes, herds OF
cattle in moving fields, grazing the dry
aftermath. For some days it is likely
they may secure third or half their sup
port away from the hay NOV. 1t seems
10 me, however, that for every mouthtul
af hay saved by this means, four or five
good mouthtuls will be lost to the barn
The coming summer If of this YOU are
doubtful, then consider the reasons in sup
port OF the assertion. 1t is assumed that
the soil OF Your farm is light. thin. and
rests upon we'll drained subsoil
The practice of manurin@ grass lands
ipon the Sward, 10 keep the gras. we'll;
and 10 save the expense OF ploughing, and
hazard Of rcsceding. has become at least a
Massachusetts custom
This custom finds it, support in the be-
iiri that graSs roots lie near the surface OF
the groumd-tbat the rains or melting
snow iduetv-su to speak-the manure
applied t. the surface, and in the liquid
Grm If settles in the SOIL sufficiently for
Ihe surface roots OF the grass to be thereby
u1urishcd We know that the most fertile
ayers OF our farm soil are the layers near
thc surface Surface applied farm ma
uure has it, greatest strength retained in
these LAYERS, Go down three OF four
inches and it is found that for every half
inch deeper there is less of fertility. EN-
anime the ploughcd turrow, and the great
mas Of roots are not found below these
few inches What lies below this depth
y very important to sustaining a growth
OF grass, but the larger part Of the stuff
Mt which grass is made withdrawn from
thp soil is found above Different is it
with clover, perhaps. and other deep root
rd plants, and different it may be, per
haps. with grass in clay OF deep soil
Careful experiments show that the great
rf portion OF liquid manure applied upon
The surface does not drop through it like
lead in water. TO the bottom. but that it is
4itlu.ed through the nppermost parts of
the soil Mess @rass roots then 1re con-
reded to lac near the surface, topdrcssing
uf grass lands We must regard As an lndit-
iorenl use ut lnanurc But We know it
produces results of value.
Accepting then these two positions, the
au, d. to The descent OF moisture in the
sol. and the other rs to the growth Of
The roots Of grass, another position with
respect to the nature of grass will be
readily accepted That grass, unlike some
species of plants the common English
grasses, does not flourish in Il dry soil, but
requires water in abundance during the
rowing season. we think is every ones
experience In om dry soil, put in ma
nure, and with a rainy season, there is a
good Yield Of grass. But without frequent
minis 5l,,,7 liirh+ coil "a. -pD1o ,,,o,p- of
retaining moisture in the soil, our crop
fails To have grass in perfection de-
nands that the farmer have Il suitable
sold that the soil shall be fertile, and that
it shall be kept sufficiently moist With
cut the last. all efforts are unavailing
The thing Of greatest difficulty is to secure
water to the growing crop.
What has the feeding close Of our NOW
ing fields in autumn to do with this? Some
say TO feed grass close, to have it meet
winter in naked condition is to have it
winter killed. fear more that it will be
summer killed.
The field that meets the spring sun in
this naked state, is the soonest green. The
sun does this, the rain being abundant in
the early spring. The early part of June,
or towards the middle OF the month, there
is often the beginning of drouth no
ehoWers-the roots Of the grass being near
the surface are soon dried-the blade slack
ems in growth and ripens short OF full
development.
Suppose, instead Of this, the fall finds Il
growth ot say four inches Of grass-the
crisp cold deadens 1.-THE winter snow
fail, upon it, and when gone leaves the
cried grass fattened to the earth The