Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1875-01-29

pastures. These newly cleared hills, iertil-
ized by the ashes OF the lumber and WOOD
burned upon them, and seeded with little
or 10 previous cropping have produced feed
in summer of excellent quality and IN great
abundance; but with such winter forage as
we have described, it often took the best
part of the early summer for the cattle TO
regain the flesh lost in winter, so that the
gross products from the dairy were much
less than under the improved system, which
is now being adopted BY the best farmers,
of keeping cows well all the year round
Formerly but little account was made oil
the milk of our cows for butter MAKING
till June. During the hot weather OF July
and August it was made into cheese. When
the cool weather of September and October
arrived butter was again made, but as soon
as cold weather set sin and the cows were
nut I'D and fed corn husks and grain straw
they rapidly fell away in their yield and
were soon dry. This was the fashionable
style of farming in my own State years
ago, and believe, also, in Vermont before
the railroads brought the markets to your
doors, and before the organization of your
Darymen's Association; but now with your
, increased facilities Tor placing your pro-
ducts in the market, with your excellent
grazing lands and your abundant springs
of pure water you have the opportunity Tor
becoming the leading State in the manu-
facture of dairy products. And under the
present competition in the production OF
grain by our Western brethren, is it not
acting the part of wisdom for us to yield to
them the supremacy in this department,
while we strive to hold an equally honora-
Bile position in the production of dairy
goods? If we would do this We must give
up some Of our old notions, and mnst
abandon many of our old practices: We
must keep our cows we'll. not only during
summer when the pastures are good, but at
all times through the year. 1t dairying Is
worthy of any special effort. 1t Is worthy
of our best efforts. If we attempt to serve
two masters we shall fail to faithfully serve
one.
do not Object to raising some grain
upon a dairy farm if it can come into re-
tation without interfering with the dairy
interest; but object to raising grain, solely
from the force of old habits. and ! also OBJ
iect to feeding dairy cows upon dead corn
stalks, the straw of ripened grain and over
ripe hay, which is little better than straw,
when it is lust as easy and much more pro
ftable to supply them with the very best
fodder our land can be made to produce
If YOU have no faith in dairy farming
YOU had better leave it to those who have;
but if you have faith in it don't have too
many irons in the fire.
| have faith in dairy farming and for the
past twenty years have made 1t leading
department on my own farm. | gave up
grain growing years ago. because found
that the grass crop is of the first import
ance on dairy farm for without an ahund-
ant supply OF good grass, superior butter
cannot be made at profit in New England
all the year round. My first aim, after OBJ
tanning good butter cows and convenlences
for making butter, is to secure the largest
possible amount of the very best fodder that
the farm can produce.
When a field has been planted year and
Is ready to seed down, instead of sowing 1t
to grain and grass together, SOW grass seed
alone, except on such portions as ! desire to
raise ryc,or oats to be cut green for fodder.
Experiments repeated time and again have
| convinced me that the crops OF grass on my
own farm are almost invariably worth more
for fodder the year they are sOwed, than
the grain and straw together would he
worth if grain instead of grass was made
the leading crop. The first trial was made
about twenty years ago when owing to bad
weather the previous year, seed grain was
very high and very poor. ! was sent to the
city to purchase grass seed, and oats ior
growing a crop OF fodder as We had already
gwen up raising oats for the grain. seed
oats were so extremely dear that bought
but half the quantity intended, and when
the field was sOwn one halt recelEed no
grain. OF course that part OF the field seed
ed with grain looked the most promising
during the early part of the season. The
oats grew and were cut for fodder in July.
Tn TO this time the season had been rather
dry and the grass alone had made but little
growth above ground. Ii was, however,
well rooted and covered the ground like a
thick mat About the middle of July the
weather changed 10 wet and showcry. and
the grass took n new start; and by the last OF
August produced crop OF hay July a.
heavy as the oat crop on the other hall oil
the field, and of far better quality. II was
thick, fine and soft and was highly re.ished
by the stock, while the straw, like straw
generally. was better for dry animals than
for milch cows.
For several years these experiments were
continued by sowing grass seed, ooth with
and without grain. until 1t was proved De
yond doubt that ,on my own farm, the latter
Is far the better plan.
have sowed grass seed alone in early
spring and at intermediate seasons up to the
tenth of June hich is entirely too late Tor
been sorry that grain had not been mixed
with the grass to afford 1t protection. -
long a. a ton of good, fine, sweet English
hay IS worth more than ton Of any kind
of straw, 50 long will it be advisable to
raise grass alone instead OF mixing It with
any OF the small grains.
admit that on farms infested by weeds
the crop of grain will appear TO better ad-
vantage than the first crop OF grass Some
who have tried this system have failed be-
cause the weeds have choked ont the young
grass and injured it as much as would a
crop of gram. Such farmers are to be
pitici when they are forced to choose be
tween raising an inferior crop OF straw and
a more inferior crop OF weeds. There must
be a screw loose somewhere in their man
agement. for claim that We have right
to choose the kind Of crop We will grow and
failure 20 do this, only proves our igno-
rance of some of the details connected with
the culture OF those crops.
When seeding with grass alone, have
almost invariably cut two crops the first
year, while if grain had been sown only
one crop could have been taken, except un-
der extremely favorable circumstances The
first crop should be cut rather carly, as soon
as il begins to lodge, whether It is grown
or not. At this time many OF the annual
weeds, which are Just coming INTO bloom.
are SO nearly killed by cutting that they do
not rally, and the second crop OF grass will
be nearly, free from them.
On good moist, rich land. well pulyeriEad
and laid down smoothly, my first crop OF
| bay from spring seeding Is nearly or quite
equal in value to a crop OF gram, while the
second crop Is far more valuable than cny
second crop following gram crop the hrst
year. Ii must be remembered that except
for clover. spring il not the natural season
for sowing grass seed. Nature sOws in
August, and the seeds come up and make a
growth of leaves the same fall, but seed
stalks are not sent up till the following sea-
SON Nature ma nages the grasses as we DO
I fall grain. We SOW wheat and rye early
ehSngh to allow of a good growth OF leaves.
which afford the roots protection against
the frosts and winds of winter. 30 FULLY
| do those piaEts which SOW their seeds
/ 10 autumn seeu 10 understand ana
conform to natures laws. that II
we SOW their seeds in early ADFing instead
Of late summer, they seldom at-elppt to
throw up seed stalks the first year.
Winter rye, if sown in spring or earay
summer will make great growth OF leaves.
hot will seldom produce seed much earlier
THAI II sown in October or November.
Farmess, therefore, who may make the ex-
pertinent u sowing grass in spring without
, grain. must a.t expect to obtain a crop OF
hay like that grows upon old fields and
it Rising hay for the cAs market were the
main object, | would not req Gmend sow
ing grass alone in spring at all. Blu. where
hay Tor dairy q vs. is an object. 1t will oiteu
pay to grow it ia this gaY, and if the work
is we'll done and the land is rich. and moist
and tolerabiy free from weeds, tao good
crops OF very good hay may be obteinel in
every favorable season.
have said that spring is not natures
time for sowing the grasses. August is her
sssding month for biennials and all those
pia2sa which require few weeks or months
| ion getting established in the soil, the year
previous to throwing up seed stalks, and
our best results usY usually be obtained by
following her eEampie
Annals start naturally ~ Ala spring and
il is hard to fight them with tialll ais and
perennials sown at the same time. 4 lriy
autumn is undoubtedly the hes; time in tie