Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-04-06
Seeding Land With Grass and Glover.

Most tillers of the soil cannot oe con-
WINGED readily that it is a better practice
to SOW grass seed and clover seed where
no grain is growing than 10 SOW such seed
in connection with the seed of some ce-
real crop. The argument in favor OF
stocking down land with grass and clover
where rye, wheat, oats or barley may be
growing is that the young grass and ten
der clover require shade until their own
leaves have attained sufficient size to
shade the surface of the land. Ii young
clover and grass could have the benefit OF
partial shade the argument would be
reliable. But the tender plants need the
shade most just when the seed-leaf of the
clover is unfolding and when the delicate
spikes of grass are appearing. Just at
that particular period the broad leaves Of
the growing grain will spread out over
the entire surface, and in many places
the foliage will be so dense that the young
clover and tender grass will he smoth-
cred. Every observing person knows
that young clover and grass will often be
entirely killed in places where seed grain
was sowed SO thickly as to cover the
ground with dense foliage. If clover
seed and grass seed could be s0wed on
fresh and mellow seed-bed when a thin
crop of growing rye, wheat, oats or bar
lev was about two feet high, the grass and
clover would then have the benefit of
partial shade, and none of the tender
plants would be smothered But as that
would be impracticable, the better way TO
insure good and satisfactory "Satch" is
to SOW the grass and clover seed on soil
recently worked, where no crop OF grain
is growing. Some farmers prefer TO SOW
their grass and clover seed among their
growing Indian corn just before the tas-
sells appear. If level cultivation rs adopt
ed, this practice will seldom fail to insure
an excellent "catch" of grass and clover,
as the growing crop of corn will afford
partial shade without smothering any
of the tender plants. If the ground is in
state of medium fertility where corn is
growing, and if clover seed and grass SEED
be sown among the corn about the md.
die of summer, the young forage plants VIII
become SO firmly rooted before winter that
cold weather will not heape out the
clover unless the soil is excessively wet.
The practice of stocking down land in
connection with a crop Ut cereal grain
has been in vogue 50 long that few farm
ers can be persuaded to prepare their
ground by manuring, blowing, narrowing,
grading and rolling, and SOW nothing but
grass seed and clover seed. Yet this
would be the better practice. When hay
seed is scattered along the beaten track oil
the highway, wherever there is suihcient
depth of soil to effect termination, grass
will soon cover the ground, which proves
conclusively that if grass will grow In the
highway without any preparation OF the
soil, and without the advantage OF CON
genial seed bed, and without any shade at
all, surely the young plants win grow
Iuxuriantly where the soil is fresh, mel
low and fertile. The most important con
sideration in stocking down land IS 10 have
the surface mellow and sufficiently fertile
to promote the growth, OF young cioVer
and grass after the seed have germinated'
In numerous instances the land Is Ia soch
an impoverished condition that young
clover and tender grass cannot nnd any
plant food in an available state. Hence
shortly after the little substance In the SEED
is exhausted the plants will wither and
die. During several seasons past our
practice has been TO pillow the land IN the
former part of the growing season, ABOUT
the time to plant corn, harrow the surface,
making it smooth as practicable, then SOW
clover and grass seed on the ireSn SOIL oe,
fore rain falls. BY scattering inc seea
before rain has fallen, most OF the little
kernels will roll down in tie depressiohs,
and the first rain will wash the soil over
them so completely that every one VIII
terminate. III the surface is al All iunpy,
he sods and clods should be placed in
hollows, a roller should be passed, over the
field. and the grass seed should DE so"eu
after after the ground is rolled; # I, grass seed
no narrowed in, more seed will be lost by
being buried too deep by the harrow I, ana
the feet of heavy teams than will fail TO
terminate, liz consequence OF remaining
on the surface not covered with earth.-
". Y. Herald.