Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-04-26
Seeding Land With Grass and Glover.

Seeding Land With Grass and Glover.
MosT tillers of the soil cannot oe con
vinced readily that it is better practice
to SOW grass seed and clover seed where
no grain is growing than TO 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 If young
clover aud grass could have the benefit OF
partial shade the argument would be
reliable But the tender plants need the
shade n ost 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 be smoth-
cred. Livery 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 a dense foliage. If clover
seed and grass seed could be sowed ON a
fresh and mellow seed-be when thin
crop of growing rye, wheat, oats or bar
ley was about two feet high, the grass and
clover would then have the benefit of a
partial shade, and none of the tender
plants would be smothered But as that
would be impracticable, the better way to
insure 81 good and satisfactory catch" 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 is 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
a state of medium fertility where corn is
growing, and if clover seed and grass seed
be sown among the corn about the mid
die of summer, the young forage plants will
become so firmly rooted before winter that
cold weather will not heave out the
clover unless the soil is excessively wet.
The practice OF stocking down land in
connection with crop Of cereal grain
has been in vogue so long that few farm
ers can be persuaded to prepare their
ground by manurng, 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 Of
the highway, wherever there is sufficient
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 a con-
genial seed bed, and without any shade at
all, surely the young plants will grow
luXuriantly where the soil is fresh mel
low and fertile. The most important con
sideration in stocking down land is to have
the surface mellow and sufficiently fertile
to promote the growth of young clover
and grass after the seed have terminated.
In numerous instances the land is in such
an impoverished condition that young
clover and tender grass cannot find any
plant food in an available state. Hence,
shortly after the little substance in the seed
is exhausted Che 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 fresh soil be-
fore rain falls. BY scattering the seed
before rain has fallen, most of the little
kernels will roll down in the depressions,
and the first rain will wash the soil over
them so completely that every one will
terminate. Ii the surface is at all lumpy,
the sods and clods should be placed in
hollows, roller should be passed over the
field, and the grass seed should be sowed
after the ground is rolled. If grass seed
be narrowed in, more seed will be lost by
being buried too deep by the harrow and
the feet of heavy teams than will fail 10
terminate, il consequence of remaining
on the surface not covered with earth. =
N. Y Herald.