Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-04-06
How to Make Good Pastures.

No branch of American agriculture is so
universally neglected, says the Nashville
American, as that Of farming and maintain
ing good pastures. They are expected to
make aud take care of themselves, and the
result is poor, thin grazing which keeps alive
stunted, worthless stock. Such pastures must
be reset in rich herbage plants, rejuvenated
aud reformed, before stock can be perma-
nently improved and stock-raising rendered
profitable. All sedge, briers, bushes, weeds,
and worthless plants must be attacked and
entirely exterminated to make room and
food for the best European and American
grasses. The plow, harrow, axe and grub
bing hoe or mattock will do this work. When
done, and good seed-bed prepared, grass
seed should be scattered evenly with liber.
al hand over the ground.
No man expects to harvest fair crop Of
grain, without proper preparation of the land
in cultivation and grain is nothing more
than annual grass with rather largo seeds.
Pasture grasses have small seeds and are
perennial plants Several have creeping,
underground stems, like twitchgrass (Tracum
refenS), one species of bluegrass, Bermuda
and Guinea grass There is no one single
grass so valuable for pasture in Tennessee as
orchard grass, called cocks foot in England
(DaciyliS glomerata). 1t is perennial, luxu.
RANT in leaf, very nutritious, grows in the
winter when the ground is not frozen, and
early in the spring; stands drought remark
ably well, being tenacious Of life, holding
its own against weeds and seeds as well as
A, mia Anos noN Gil
the entire surface of the earth as full of herb
age as 1t ought to be, giving room for blue
grass, the fescucs dog tail, and the agrostis
family, of which redtop and white-top are
common in this state. .....
Every pasture should have a sprinkling oi
white and red clover in some part Of it. Co
ing further south, into Alabama, Mississippi
and other states we should not hesitate to use
Bermuda freely. With steel plows, SHARP
shiros Tor sharcs) and coulters, the thickes
Bermuda grass sod may be subdued and
changed into manure for corn and cotton, i
ever needed for such purposes, 1t needs bu
the soil to make first-rate permanent pastures
10 all southern states, as the author know
from observation aud study of the subject
| OF course our climate aud soils differ widely
and the proper practice should vary accord
ingly. Some swamps and bottoms require
drainage before any but semi-aquatc grasses
can grow to advantage.
The farmer needs growing weather t,
make Il crop, whether grass or two crops o
Irish potatoes in a year. This power o
growth extends to cora, for hay, grain an
green soiling, aud to all other cereals, a
well as the best grasses for pasture an
meadow. For the sake of getting stead
income from land which is in excess of ou
available labor aud cash capital, we war
to see extensive pastures, equal to the be-
in Tennessee, Kentucky aud Ohio, all ovC
the impoverished South, to recuperate il
energy and Independence land "
have, that can neither be stolen nor burn
nor deprived of its showers and blest sur
shine. 1t is the gift Of God, and should
fully utilized for the benefit of mankin,
Perennial grass in pasture will achieve tn
result. Now, prepare the soil, SOW the see,
and fight all intruders ON your GROWN
grasses when small and feeble.
Harrow ground smooth before sowing gra
seed, aud cover with bush or very ligl
iine.too harrow then roll the field with
light roller. Grass needs no grain with
as a shade or nurse. Fill the soil vii
several species of grass and clover, and pc
nit no other seeds to grow and starve yol
grazing plants, In this way, you cause Il
ground to do its best to produce heritage
support yous most valuable meat stock, shee
hogs and horses your farm becomes pa
ing investment. Grass, live stock manur
aud cultivated common sense, will cure o
r defect in the soil, aud make it a growing 4
stitution in place of a sorry old field, washil
into gullies.-SOaahern Industries Mas
pille Tenn.