Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-09
Tho Winter. and the Grass Crop.

The snow banks have finally melted
away. and the spring rains have started up
the grass into new life on the pastures and
moving fields AS we anticipated, there
are a great many spots where the grass Is
entirely killed by the heavy body OF Ice
that Law so long on the surface during all
the latter part Of winner Some people
npe>tion whether it is the ice or the water
that kills grass in winter, and II 1t Is the
ice. hor it kills it. Water, unfr"zcn. may
Stand upcn IA moving in winter for severa'
DAYS without xii inc the grass underneath.
bnt if It fire., yes and remains frozen for a
rono time. as was the case the past winter.
+ seems to he pretty sure death to it. a
walk over the far.n shows IA great many
lead pate hes. both in meadows and on up
land. Where snow banks lay for II long
time after the days began to lengthrn, the
Grass and the rye are both killed, although
in some place the young timothy and red
top sowed with the rye are alive, while
the rye i dead AS hay. Why strong, Wig
orous rye, with plenty of leav from
hree to i've inches long. should freeze to
heath. while the delicate lit spears of
grnss remain bri.ht and green, is more
thnn we can understand.
One thing we have observed. that grass
-owed with winter rye goes through the
winter more safely than if sown alone. un-
les it is put in very thick OF very early.
The leaves and roots of the rye serve to
n"ld the ground together. and prevent it
from being torn to pieces by the alternate
| :rcezings and Ihawings of the winter and
spring Our fields Of orchard grass have
| seldom looked more unprOmising than the
present spring. Orchard Grass is evident
| V more tender TO stand the winter under
| ice or cold water than some Of our other
rr,>ses One of our fields, that never
| Jnnked so promising b fore rs it did last
| f,I, is pretty much ruind 1t is Il level
piece of low land, and hy the accumult
| ion of snow on one side the water was
prevented from running off after Il thnw
md in Il few hours the whole field was
owe ed bv II body of solid ice which re
manned in many places nearly tw" months
| In all these places the grass is nearly
Ill dead The clover and orchard grass
re entirely dead. while here and there
may be seen Il few spears of June grass
,howin9 hat this is a very hardy grass
or standing the winter. There are also
.thrr fields high and dry, where the
.r;ts> is more OF less killed by the snow
rtnk- which lay So heavy and so long on
| h" surface.
The more we experiment with different
,;,ys of seeding and to grass. the more ar'
We cnnvncrd hat, if grass is the main
| .rnp. desired. the seed should not be sowed
p h grain We like to have :, variety nf
recr feed for mich cows in the spring
nd ummcr, and we raise liberal quaint
Is of both winter and spring rye. and
| $50 Oats to be cut or. en- it n eded. or t.
4 h.,,
Jus. Now. it is pretty expensive t.
| ,lou@h heavy land md fit it for moving
especially where there are several cord,
i small stones to bepicked up from ever
ere, every time it is ploughed. and it Is
ecceSsry to level the ground IN put i
inst As sond cor. lilon for moving ",
II oats rs for @rnss. SO, to save. the l.,
r"r of re ploughing and re->redng. W,
l~utlly sow 9rt-s seed with such grains
| when they ARE 10 BE- cut for fodder IT.
such cases we choose between two evils
ne risk of losing he grass seed and thu
Dor of rc-seeding If the season is y
| tv0rablr one. success may be expected
nut if the weather is very dry we lose th'
.rnss see !, and are obliged to 90 through
he operation of seeding again. 1t mus
Yer be !; question that clch farmer must
Irci e for himself, being guided bv lh'
conditions and circumstances surroun linz
i'm III the time rs the price of grass seed
! tbOr. and cost of team work. On Il t.l,
own in three parts last spring. one wi
We, one Nth oats. and the remainder wit
| r;l-S alone, the swlld is many times be,
~ where no grain Sowcd with tn,
| craSs. Where the grain grew. the tur
'oks Us 1t does on thret-tourths of AL tn
| Few seeded ii Ids we notice in our travel.
vcr the country. The gr;l-s is in bunche,
patches. with lar@e spaces on whici
,othing will grow till the few plants still
live have time to spread out and occupy
he waste places Where the grass grew
ll"ne. the whole surface is covered AS thcI
= II mat. and will produce rs full crol
| # hay this year Is it ever will. o.
irld> too, that We're pretty we'll run on
re locking badly in mrny places. 1t vii
~ we'll for us to make calculations 70,
owing IL many of these run ont mowin.
fields to millet. tn summer. as we can
| i'he hty VIII be needed next winter
There Will be ample time after cu;tin
he little hay that will Grow before tn
irst of July. for sowing mil ct or Hun
| g:,rian gra>s, if the w"rN is pushtd whcl
is commenced Save all the manul,
po>>b for this purpose. and have it read,
% use when the time comes.-N I
| FdrnlGr.