Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-09-24
Grass Culture.
Buffalo Live Stock journal.

| am aware that many will oppose,
cat sight" this recommendation to al
low manure to lie so long ere it is
turned under and the land cropped, and
they will not readily see how such a
course can be profitable. Many will
say, "Why we are lying out of the
use of the manure two years by this
system" l acknowledg that to in
augurlte and organize this new sys-
tenn will require a radical change, Of
ten, in the farm management, and
will leave an lnsufficiency of manure
for immediate use on the grain and
root crops during the two years that
a sward lot is lying, prior to its be-
ing broken up for the first tillage
crop of a rotation that is to succeed.
But it may be "bridged over" by
blowing less and depending on turn
ing good clover lay, and if obtaina-
BILE, by using some concentrated com
mercial fertilizers. The system of
cropping may even quite be materially
modified for one year, and the ulti-
mate gain will still show the balance
on the right side.
Now. what are we to gain by. this
system? In the first place, every
variety Of manure made has been
mingled and so applied with the
urine that 1t is really Of more value
than the solid excrement. There
has been no waste by washing and
Teaching in the barn yard. The full
mechanical benefit Of shade and pro-
lection from draft has been awaited
OF Tor two summers, and great pro,
lection from repeated freezing and
thawlng, SO injurious to tie incum,
bent crop, has been had for two win
tiers, and full, vigorous sward has
been grown by the application, the
augmentation of which will not unfre-
quently be Of Il value no less than
that of the manure originally applied
hence an increase of the amount Of
manure on the land when it is plowed
of one hundred per cent.
Grass and weed seeds lying on and
in the surface soils are, by the pro-
lection and food applied, causes to
terminate and grow, thereby thicken-
ing the sward and increasing the
crop for pasturage or moving, and
greatly increase the density of vege-
teton in the sward ultimately turned
III. Should there be rank growth
of weeds promoted by this system,
that grazers will not eat, they may
be mown with the machine and al
lowed to remain on the land, by
which still further augmenting the
mulch, and cleansing the land while
in grass, which is less expensive than
destroying weeds by cultivation.
Sward thus treated will, when turn
ed in, yield an astonishing amount
of plant foot adapted to the growth
of any crop, and will bear good crops
of corn, oats, barley or wheat and if
the land was Ill Il we'll seeded condi-
ton i'll the beginning it may be set
with grass with the wheat with no
other application than good top
dressing Of straw rs it comes from
the thresher, which is the most prof.
table use to which straw can be put.
The barn-yard used for stock should
be paved or graveled, so that it will
be dry; and no straw or stalks should
be strewed over it. The droppings
of the stock should be frequently
gathered from the yard, and be stor-
ed with the manure from the stables.
Everything should be fed in the sta
bles, and the animals should never
occupy the yard except in clear,
pleasant weather.
J. WILKINsOS.