Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-09-01
Fall Treatment of Meadows.

Fall Treatment of Meadows.
| When is it bost TO leave tho Septembe
and October growth on the land l thinl
it had better be left whenever the land is no
fertile enough for one to expect his grass tC
fall down before it blossoms-why2 BE-
cause thick grass which does not, in favor
able season, fall before 1t blossoms, has mo-
all the plant-food it can use. Now, if thu
fall growth is left, and if, as l think, wha
the grass loses while ripening and drying
on the roots returns directly to the roots
they are in very much better condition t.
grow in the spring than they would be with
out that help. As l understand it, the case
is like this IF man must do days work
upon the food he eats before going to bee
the night before the work is to be done, it il
better for him to 90 to bed full but, if he
feels sure Of good breakfast in the morn.
ing, 1t is better for him not to eat the late
supper. So with the grass if tho land i,
poor, and the grass is not to be fed in any
other way, better feed it with grass than let
it starve
1t seems to me that the process by which
the next seasons crop is benefited by leav.
ing 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 sum.
mer mulch.
In California l have frequently seen two
tons to the acre left on the ground from one
season to the next have seen land by the
side, with nothing but the short stubble left
by the moving machine, grow nearly as
good crop as the land not moved, Per
haps there is no place where mulch, prop
erly applied, is more useful than it is il
California. | have often asked myself why
leaving one seasons growth did not make
more increase in the next crop. l think
with the permanent grasses Of New England
to leave the growth OF one season woulC
make perceptible increase in the next sea.
sons 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, arc not benefited, the benefit cannot
come from the crop left acting as a mulch
for in that case think one crop would b,
benefited as we'll as the other. Two or three
tons to the acre lett ou land is not in condi
tion to operate as mulch the first season af.
ter being left. 1t operates as shade. Any
covering Of land, to operate as mulch, must
be thick enough and in such close contact
with the earth that the point Of contact i;
constantly kept moist.
After many years of study and observa
ton about mulching and shading assisting
and checking evaporation, am at present
confident that the questions when to leave
and when not to leave the September and
October growth of grass on our moving field
can be correctly answered from the plant
food standpoint. If food is plenty, use tn,
growth; if not, leave it. | also think tha
the system Of farming which permits it to b,
used is in advance Of the system which re
quires it to be left.
think that grass land, to do its best
should be manured every year. The me
chanical condition of land is important a!
well as its chemical. once heard maj
say the chemical composition OF Bunker
Hill monument was about right for growing
cabbages its mechanical condition is not.
The mechanical condition of much New
England farm land is not as it should be +
get the full benefit of its chemical capacity
So confident am | that top-dressing gras
land every year with coarse, green manur,
will improve its mechanical as well as chem
ical condition, that | expect to work int
the way OF putting all my manure on tn
grass, and not manuring when | plow, plan
and reseed; thereby reversing the commo
New England practice. When | get to il
| hope to report results whether successful
or otherwise.
The best l have seen about pasturin
moving fields was the following "As
general rule, it is better to avoid pasturinl
meadows after the growth has ceased 70
the season. But there are exceptions t
this rule, there being some cases in whic
we would pasture as closely as possible
Where the soil is rich and the aftermath
heavy, there may be u mass Of dried dea
stuff in the bottom next year which will il
terfere much with the moving unless it
pastured down now; for this case we woul
pasture the meadow closely, and give som
top.dressing if necessary, taking care t
spread the droppings of the stock evenly
Again, strong but thin clover and grass will
be benefited by close pasturing, by whic
the stubble will be eaten of, the coars
growth rendered finer aud closer, aud th
yield of next season be improved in quality
A moderate top.dressing of fine manure wi
be of more value than the stubby aftermath
l like to NOW or feed the aftermath be
fore growth for the season has fully stopped
aud | prefer coarse top.dressng to fin,
With these changes | like this plan.-Anst
w. Putnam in Massachusetts PLoughma,