Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-01-05
Kentucky Blue Grass.

who think what is termed Kentucky
blue grass lhrives only in the State
from which it receives one of its
common names. But the facts are
that ii thrive> in the Northern and
Middle States, and we have no doubt
as the following would seem to show
tina, ere long some OF our Western
prairies may be turned into grand
blue grass pastures.
The best farmers in the blue grass
region of kentuckey generally regard
an acre of this grass equal in value
To an acre of corr
When we take into consideration
the cost or value Of the labor in rails
ING an acre of corn, the value of the
blue grass will be more fully appre
ciav
The intcli gent farmer will make
his blue grass pasture sustain Il larg-
or number of stock the year round in
better order than the same number
of acres of corn.
Tier is no crop which requires
more intelligent management for
profit than tins grass. AS 1t remains
green and nutritious during the viii
Ter, there Is no necessity for cutting
aud curing, as it is almost valuele>s
Tor hay. To insure good sward it
should never be mown, and as 1t
heads several times during the year,
one acre well set and allowed to seed
will be sufficient to set Il large pas
lure in single season by allowing
stock to Craze 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 1897
to 1889, and during that time careful
ly observed the management of those
pastures which gave to Kentucky a
world-renowned reputation.
The success of the Alexanders,
Van Meters, Vileys, Williams, and
other renowned stock raiserS of Ken
lucky depended largely upon this
important grass.
One of the Van Meters, of Bour-
bon county, purchased Il farm at 500
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 well 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 Dur
ham cattle to Craze upon the seeded
blue grass and roam ut viii! over the
adjoining fields, the whole place was
in an incredibly short time well set
in grass, by combining the cattle to
one pasture ut Il time, leaving the
others TO seed and form i mass Of
Succulcmt, juicy, rich food, Il foot
deep, literally Il mass, a mat for fall
and winter use, Il larger number of
cattle were kept fat the year round
than was formerly kept by the old
process of raising corn on II part.
Moving to Western Missouri in
lS49, l found many of these blue
grass farmers and their sons in Ray,
Clay, Lafayette and Jackson coun-
ties. Clinton county, north of Clay,
was prairie SparSely settled, aud lit
tic, il any, blue grass i'll the county.
The farmers Of Ray and Clay,
where blue grass abounded, made
frequent visits to Clinton county,
and in short time blue grass was
seen growing in patches by the road
side, and years after spreading over
thousands OF acres OF unimproved
prairie land that was supposed to be
un>ui,r,l TO the growth OF this most
valuable Of all grasses.
Ten years after | visited Topeka
and other portions of Kansas, where
repeated efforts were made to start
blue grass, and all seemed discour-
aged and disappointed.
Now, June 1876, this grass is
found in nearly all the lawns about
the residences, and, unfortunately,
before it is sufficiently set to form Il
heavy and rich sward, is being mown
and the seed carried off in Indifferent
hay.
From the foregoing it will be read
lily seen that regard rs the most
successful and about the only sue
ces>tnl way to seed blue grass pas
lures, is to start II patch with care,
then by grazing stock upon it and al
lowing them to roam over the pas
turc, scatter the seed and thlcken up
the sward.
Blue grass is especially valuable
for winter grazing, and where the
prairie is fenced up, it is nnporlan,
to have two blue grass pastures,
Keeping one exclusively for winter
use, alternating each year by in
lu>,r"uSly and persisten,ly pursuing
this plan II few years, Kansas will
become celebrated us the great blne
grass region of the Wcst-C Cor. RI