Litchfield enquirer., 1876-09-28
AGRICULTURAL

KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS. = There arc doubtless many farmers who think what is termed Kentucky blue grass thrives only in the State from whence it receives one of it's common names. But the facts are, that it thrives in the Northern and Middle States, and we have no doubta as the following would seem to show, that ere long some of our Western prairies may be transformed into grand blue grass pasture.~
 The best farmers in the blue grass region of Kentucky generally regard an acre of this grass equal in value to an acre of corn.
 When we take into consideration the cost or value of 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 a larger num- Der of stock the year round in better order 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 nu- tritious 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 pas ture in single season by allowing stock to graze 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 of Kentucky from 1887 to 1S49, and during that time carefully ob- served the management of those pas- lures which gave to Kentucky world renowned reputation. ...r ....
 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 $1OO per acre. There was not quite one fourth of the farm in blue grass. The balance had been cultivated in hemp and corn. The woodland, as is usual there, was we'll set in blue grass and afforded the winter food for the stock usually kept on the farm.
 Van Meter raised no grain upon this farm, and by allowing his Durham cat tie to graze upon the seeded blue grass and roam at will over the adjoining fields, the whole place was in an incredi- bly short time we'll set in grass by con- ti,ing the cattle to one pasture at time, leaving the others to seed and form a mass ofsucculent, juicy, rich food, foot deep, literally mass, a mat for fall and winter use, 8 larger number of cattle were kept fat the year round than was formerly kept by the old processs of raising corn on part.
 Movingto Western Missouri in 1S49, Hound many of these blue grass farm CTS and their sons in Ray,. Clay, Lafay- etta--, snd-Ianlxson counties. Clinton sparsely settled, and little, if any, blue grass in the county.
 The farmers of Clay and Ray, where blue grass abounded, made frequent visits to Clinton county, and in short time blue grass was seen growing in patches by the roadside, and years after spreading over thousands of acres of un- improved prairie land, that was supposed to be unsuited to the growth of this most valuable of all grasses.
 Ten years after visited Topeka and other portions of Kansas, where repeated efforts were being made to start blue grass, and all seemed discouraged and disappointed.
 Now, June 1876, this grass is found in nearly all the lawns about the residences, and unfortunately, before it'is sufficient ly set to form heavy and rich sward, is being mown and the seed carried off in indifferent hay.
 From the foregoing it will be readily seen that regard as the most success ful and about the only successful way to seed blue grass pastures, is to start patch with care, then by grazing stock upon it and allowing them to roam over the pasture, scatter the seed and thicken up the sward.
 Blue grass is especially valuablesfor winter grazing, and where the prairie is fenced up, it is important to have two blue grass pastures, keeping one ex- clusively for winter use, alternating each year. By industriously and consistently pursuing this plan few years, Kansas will become celebrated as the great blue grass region of the West.-C0r. Rural