The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-02-27
Preparing and Seeding Ground
for Pastures.

"A correspondent VI INC NOlhei
Gentleman writes
No one will, therefore, doubt that
the better plan is to prepare the
land well. beth by fining the soil.
bringing in the aid OF the elements,
and enriching it. using plenty OF
good seed, and sowing it early eth
er in the fall or the spring. In do
ing this, let it be remembered that
land cannot well be made too rich
for pasture. The more it is pushed,
the greater the reed and the fresher
only let it be drained, for quality,
and the manure decompesed, so
that no foulness or faint may be
taken up by the plant; aiming to
get the sweet berbage of hills. which
drainage secures to them, and which
aIso is necessary to give 6rmness to
the landiso that in II Oist time there
is less i'll effect from the tramping
of stock. What pasture lacks ia its
yield in comparison with other crops.
must be made up by liberal manur-
ing before seeding the land, and
top-dressing after. Here we are
greatly at fault. 1t makes differ
0nce whether TIVE head Of cattle or
one are supported on a given area,
andsmueh more than this may be
realized. We have the rich manures
of commerce to do this, aided by
plaster, lime and ashes, which help
to grow sound, sweet grasses. A
chango to meadow for q year or two
will give 3 chance for heavy manure
in the fall to restore the land again
should it fall from any cause TO re-
tain its full yield as pasture.
As barnyard MANURE is not used
on pasture it is all the more neces-
sary to see that the land is enriched
well before it is seeded down. Ma
nure is the thing. Amy one grass,
or q mixture of grasses. can thus be
grown with success, and one grass,
like Timothy, Kentucky blue grass,
or orchard grass, will realize more
profitable yield with manure than all
the other or the choicest selection
Of them, with ordinary culture.
There is however, a difference in
the adaptation OF grasses to the sell.
Timothy, redtop, the toughish mead
ow grass. aud meadow foxtail. for
instance, would not do on a dry
sandy soil. On such land, therefore
they are not gsSd pasture grasseS,
and would shrink and pretty nearly
die cut in a dry season. They re-
quire soil more or less moist. and
can be made to do better on clays
than on river land. On the other
hands dry soil will grow the IA
nous Kentucky blue grass, orchard
grass. the sweet-cented yernal grass.
and, may add for abundance the
tall oat grass. They will make the
finest Of upland pastures. They re-
quire soil that is drained. otherwise
they will suffer; and some require a
high state of fertility, like the blue |
grass, but more par ieularly the
orchard grass.
There will be seen the Importance
Of proper adaption-just The thing
that is generally overlooked, and
the wrong grasses sown. Thus in
our popular mixtures we find the
Sweet-seented yernal and red-top o.
gether. one requiring a clay, and the
other wet sell. So also the orch
ard grass is dreuth defer, and also
the hog loving feseue-FetHsca prd-
lenses. Is it wonder that our
pastures fail; that the grasses when
sown do not thrive, IL taking years
for a sod to become established, and
then with new grasses that come in
sometimes forming the principal
part Of the heritage? Let the pro-
per grasses then be sown, not only
as they relate TO the hygrometric
condition Of the land. but to the
varying qualities of our clay. lime
stone and sandy soils. with other
varieties. We cannot cheat nature