The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-26

be cut every six weeks all through the frst
summer, yielding great crops of excellent
hay for cows, and still be strong for enter
ing the winter, II not cut too late the last
time. | have now cultivated this grass
some ten or twelve years, and feel that |
can speak of 1t Understandings. 1t is
grass that must be understood to he appre-
ciated. Grown on poor, dry land, by a
poor, lazy farmer, who is always behind
hand with his work, 1t would not give sat
sfaction but on rich, moist grass land,
capable of cutting two or three crops In a
season, sown thickly, with a mixture of
clover and June grass, or other kinds ripen-
ing at about the same time, and all under
the management of wide awake dairy
farmer, can confidently pronounce 1t the
most valuable grass In the country at the
present time. When once established on
such land as have described it may be cut
two or three times year, producing large
crops of the very best of fodder, lust so
long as the fertility of the land can be
maintained by top dressing, unless de-
stroyed in some unusual manner, as by
worms or extreme drought.
1t starts up after cutting the quickest of
any grass known to cultivation, will grow
an inch day and follow it from one cut
ting to another; is the earliest grass III
red by cattle to any grass | have ever
grown. In the latitude of Boston il IS
headed in Nav. and is often IN full bloom
by the tenth of June or about one month
before timothy
As a rule il throws up no seed STALKS
after the first blossoming In June. All the
aftergrowth being in the form of long
spreading leaves which lie off in the direc-
ton of the wind as some of our water grass
es float on the surface of streams in the
direction of their flow.
One drawback TO the culture of this grass
has been the high price asked for the seed
The demand has been limited and until
within A few years it has not been quoted
in our markets. Its culture has increased
within the past few years more than dur
ing the previous half century. Nearly fifty
wears ago this grass made a little stir in the
| few agricultural papers published at that
time, but under the systems of farming
then in vogue it is not strange that it soon
died away.
| Unless the first crop is cut at the right
time il soon becomes hard and wiry like
other coarse growing grasses when mature,
and as it is a full month ahead of red top
and timothy, its harvest comes long before
most farmers would be ready for it, I'M
less they were making dairying and grass
growing a speciality.
| 1t is to such and to no others that re-
commend the culture of orchard grass in
mowings, and to these | would say, do not
cover your whole farm with it. Try one
or two of your best acres first, get these
well seeded and by top dressing keep them
So then if it proves as valuable with you
as with me. YOU will want about one-quar-
ter or one-third of your farm devoted to it,
That would be as much as you could pro-
perly take care of at the right time. especi-
nlly if the weather should be unfavorabe
for curing it. as it often is early in June.
If the first crop unavoidably stands too
late I feed it as | do other over-ripe hay. to
my horses and dry stock. The rowen crops
may stand several DAYS after thew are fully
grown without dcpreciating in value like
the first crops. but these are better cut at
the rirht time ' ~'' " ~
| find great diversity of opinion about
the quantity of seed needed for sowing an
acre of grass for moving NY own rule
might not be good one for all, but it
works well with me. never measure
ground or seed till after sowing IT. but am
careful TO have enough and some to snare.
/ begin on one side of the field and SOW
back and forth until am sure have put
on enough. If | were sowing timothy |
should want busbel for each acie, if red
top was to be the leading grass two bushels
of that, with n peck at least of timothy
and half peck of clover. | should have
more fear of getting clover too thick than
any other grass NV rule for orchard grass
seeding is two bushels per acre with one
bushel of June grass and as much clover as
with other grasses. Such seeding does not
give much chance for weeds to smoother
the grass if the land is in good heart. /
have never been sensible Of sowing grass
seed too thlckly in a single instance, but
have failed from sowing too little. want
my moving fields completely covered with
fine, soft grass, and of several varieties
The depth of seeding must depend upon
the condition of the soil at the time of SOW
ing On moist land in early spring seed
will do well scattered on the surface,
while in dry weather an inch of covering
may be better. When the soil is freshly
turned bush or even a roller will general
ly cover it sufficiently. The roller should
always be used on newly seeded land, both
to compact the surface and keep it moist,
and to make smooth work for the scythe
and the moving machine
1t hardly seems necessary at this late day
to urge cutting hay early, as it is now
pretty generally admitted that it should be
cut as soon as It comes INTO full blossom
The main difficulty seems to be in getting
our hay cut as early as we know it should
be. Too many of us have a little more hoe.
ing to do, or we can't get ready before next
Monday, and when Monday comes it brings
storm of several days and so our hay be-
comes over ripe. The more we make
daryinr specialty the more likely We
shall be TO begin our having in season. NJ,
rule for curing hay is not much more de
finite than nv rule for sowing grass seed
In fair weather | dry hay all / think il
needs driving, but when the weather i,
catching. or uncertain. | often prefer tt
cure it a little imperfectly in the NOV, tc
leaving it out to spoil in the field. Ha,
NAV be perfectly cured in the NOW wher
housed in much greeuer state than wa!
formerly supposed possible.
When nv grass is ripe enough to cut