The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-10-05
The Anti-MonoPo1ist.

it receives neof names.
But the facts are. t. 'm the
Northern and Middle ...:- ehave
no doubt. as the followin. seem
to show, that ere long some o ,West-
ern prairies may be transform ed into
grand blue grass pasture.
The best farmers in the blue grass res
gion of Kentucky generally regard an
acre Of this grass equal in value to an
acrs of corn.
When we take into consideration the
cost or value the labor in raising an acre
of corn, the value of the blue grass will
be more fully appreciated.
The intelligent farmer will make his
blue grass pasture sustain large NUNS
Der OF stock the year round in better or
der than the same number Of acres OF
corn.
There is no crop which requires more
intelligent management for profit than
this grass. AS it remains green and
nutritious during the winter, there is no
necessity for cutting and curing. and it is
almost valueless for hay. To insure, a
good sward it should never be mown,
and as it heads several times during the
year, one acre we'll set and allowed to
seed will be sufficient to set large
pasture in single season by allowing
stock to Craze upon it when the seed is
ripe, and have access to shade woodland
and water adjoining.
The writer of this lived in the blue
grass region otKentucky from 1887 to
1849, and during that time carefully OBJ
served the management Of those pastures
which gave to Kentucky world>re-
nowned reputation.
The success of the Alexanders, Van
Meters. Vileys, Williams, and other re-
nowned stock raisers of Kentucky de-
pended largely upon this important
grass.
One of the Van Meters, of Bourbon
county, purchased farm at 500 per
acre. There was not quite one-fourth of
tho farm in blue grass. The balance had
been cultivated in hemp and corn. The
wood land, as is usual there, was well
set in blue grass, and afforded the winter
food for the stock usually kept on tho
farm.
Van Meter raised no grain upon this
farm. and by allowing bis Durham cat
tie to Craze upon the seeded blue grass
and roam at will over the adjoining
fields, the whole place was in an incred-
IDLY short time well set in grass by con-
fining the cattle to one pasture at time,
leaving the others to seed and form a
mass OF succulent, juicy, rich tood,a foot
deep, literally mass mat for fall and
winter use, larger number of cattle
were kept tat the year round than was
formerly kept by the old process of
raising corn on part.
Moving to western Missouri in 1S49.
found many of these blue grass farmers
and their sons in Ray, Clay, Lafayette,
and Jackson counties. Clinton county,
north OF Clay, was a prairie sparsely
settled, and little, if any blue grass in
the county.
The farmers Of Clay and Ray, where
blue grass abounded. made frequent Wis
its to Clinton county, and in short time
blue grass was seen growing in patches
on the roadside and years after spreading
over thousands of acres OF unimproved
prairie land, that was supposed to be un.
suited to the growth of this most valuable
of all grasses.
Ten years alter visited Topeka and
other portions OF Kansas, where repeated
efforts were made to start blue grass
and all seemed discouraged and disap,
pointed,
Now, June, 1876. this grass is found il
nearly all the lawns about the residence
and unfortunately. before it is sufficient
~ set to form heavy and rich sward. i
being mown and the seed carried off il
Indifferent hay
From the foregoing it will be readil,
seen that regard as the most successlu
way to seed blue grass pastures, is /,
start patch with care, then by grain,
stock upon it aud allowing them to roam
over the pasture, scatter the seed An,
thicken up the sward.
Blue grass is especially valuable TO
winter grazing. and where the prairie i
fenced up. it is important to have w.
blue grass pastures, keeping one exclu
sively for winter use. alternating eac
year. BY industriously and PERSISTENT
pursuing this plan few years, kansa
will become celebrated as the great blu
grass region OF the Wes.