Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1876-09-14
Farm ann AOustbolO.
Fall Teestmsst q! xeasevs.

1t had better be leit whenever the land
l. not fertile enough tor one TO expect his
grass TO fall down before it blossoms
why? Because thick grass which does
not in favorable season, fall before it
blossoms, has not all the plant food it can
use. Now, if the fall growth is left, aud
1t, as think, what the grass loses While
ripening and driving on the roots returns
directly to the roots, they are in very
much better condition to grow in the
spring than they would be without that
help. AS understand it the case is like
this Il a man must do days work up
on the food he eats before going 10 bed
the night before the work is TO be done,
it is better for aim TO go bed full, but,
il hc feels sure OF good breakfast in the
morning, it is better for him not to eat
the late supper. So with the grass; il
the land is poor, and the grass is not to
be led in auy other way, better feed it
with grass than let ii starye
Ii seems TO me that the process by
which the next season crop is benefited
by leaving the fall growth of this season
on the land is an internal process rather
than an external one. have never been
able TO find any proof that there is any
value in the fall growth as winter
blanket or as summer mulch.
In California | have frequently seen
two tons 10 the acre left on the ground
from one season 10 the next. have seen
land by the side, with nothing but the
short stubble left by the moving ma
chine, grow nearly as good crop as the |
land not moved. Perhaps there is no
place where mulch, properly applied, is |
more useful than il is in California. | /
have often asked myself why leaving one |
seasons growth cid not make more in
crease in the next crop. think, with the !
permanent grasses Of New England, to |
leave the growth of one season would |
make perceptihle increase in the next
seasons crop.
Now, if grass, the roots OF which live !
through the winter, is benefited, and the |
wild oats, which grow from the seed each !
year, are not benefited, the benefit cannot |
come from the crop left acting as a mulch,
Tor in that case think one crop would be |
benefited as well as the other. Two or !
three tons to the acre left on land is not |
III condition to operate as mulch the first /
season after being left. 1t operates as
shade. Any covering OF lasd TO operate
as mulch, must be thick enough and in
such close contact with the earth that the
point OF contact is constantly kept moist.
After many years of study and obser-
walton about nulching and shading, as
sisting and checking evaporation, am at
present confident that the questions
when TO leaYe and when not to leave the
September and October growth of grass
on our mowing-fields can be correctly
answered from the planl.food stand
point. II food is plenty, use the growth
If not, leave it. also think that the svs-
TEN OF farming which permits it TO be
used is in advance OF the system which
requires it to be left.
think that grass land, to do its best,
should be MANFRED every year. The me-
chanical condition of muck New Eng
land land is important, as well as its
chemical. | once heard a man say the
chemical condition Of Bunker Hill mon
ument was about right for growing cab
bages; its mechanical condition is not.
The mechanical condition of much
New England farm land is not as il
should be 10 get the full benefit of its
chemical capacity. So confident am |
that top-dressing grass land every year
with coarse, green manure will improve
It's mechanical as well as chemical con.
diuon, that expect TO work into the
way OF putting all my manrue on the
grass. and not manurins when plow,
plant and reseed; thereby reversing the
common New England practice. When
| get it hope to report results whether
successful or other wise.
moving fields was the following; "As
general rule, it is better to avoid pas
turing meadows after he growth. has
ceased for the season. But there are ex.
ceptions 70 this rule, there being some
cases in which we would pasture -
closely as possible. Where the soil 10
rich and the Aftermath heavy, there may
be mass of dried dead stuff in the bot
tom next Year which will interfere much
with the moving unless it is pastured
down again; for this case we would
pasture the meadow closely, and give
some top-dressing if necessary, taking
care to spread the droppings of the stock
evenly. Again, strong but thin clover
and grass will be benefited Dy close pas.
turing, by which the stubble will be
eaten off, the coarse growth rendered fin.
er and closer, and the yield of next sea-
son be improved in quality. A moderate
tepdressing of fine manure will be OF
more value than all the stubbly after
math."
like 10 now or feed the aftermath be-
fore growth for the season has fully stop
ped, and Iprefer coarse top-dressing to
fine. With these changes l like this plan.
lex.
OLD YEw TREEs.-The yew trees Of
British are of wonderful longevity. One
lived at Fountains Abbey. Ripon, for
900 wears: there are some yews at