The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-09-26
Nutritive Value Of Hay.

NuCc1C1Vo dluo Oh nay.
According to the experiments of
several eminent European agricul-
turists 100 lbs. of good meadow
hay arc equal to about 90 lbs, of
best cured clover hay, 800 to 500
lbs, Of rye straw, (varying with
time Of cutting, &c.,) 900 to 400
lbs. Of oat straw. 200 to 300 lbs. of
RITA bagas, $50 to 400 lbs., of man
gold wurtzels, 200 to 300 lbs. of
carrots. $50 to 900 lbs. of potatoes,
80 to 60 lbs. of beans or peas, 80 to
60 lbs. of Indian corn, % lbs. of
buckwheat, 35 to 70 lbs. of barley,
40 to 80 lbs. o. oats, 30 to 20 lbs.
Of rye, so to GO lbs. OF wheat and
40 to 100 lbs Of oil cake.
MANAGEMENT OF GRASS LAND.
The limits Of this article will
allow only a brief outline Of the
essential requisites for growing
heavy crops Of good grass.
The first, isa rich soil. Every
farmer has observed the great diff
ference j. the crop on poor knoll,
| and on a MANFRED, fertile, or moist
| spot. Land laid down to grass
should, therefore, be in the best
order; and as most grass roots do
not run deep, a surface manurlng
on heavy soils, or a coating turned
in with a gang-plough on lighter
land, would be very useful before
seeding.
Thick seeding is the next requi-
size. Many thickly seeded fields
show bare spots, which are SO much
loss in land. If these spots con-
stitute a third of a SIX acre field,
then two acres are wasted. 1t has
been found by careful counting
! that i foot square Of rich Old pas
ture, composed of mixed grasses,
contains about q thousand plants;
and some highly enriched and II
ri ated meadows have contained
nearly twice that number. This is
Z to II plants to a square inch.
Now, let us see how much of the
different grass seeds will give this
number Of plants. There + in Il
bushel of clear seed, Of
Timothy 40, 600, 600 seeds.
Orchard Grass 1000, 600 seeds
June grass $4,000, 600 seeds.
Red-top $1,000, 600 seeds.
Meadow Fescue 20, 900, 600 seeds.
Red clover 10000, 600 seeds.
White clover IS, 900, 900 seeds.
There are about 5000, 900, square
inches to an acre, and allowing for
one-third not growing, there ought
to be 10 seeds to a square inch, or
80, 600, 900 per It will be
seen that this would require nearly
a bushel of Red-top, and more than
"a bushel Of June grass or Timothy.
There + some grasses occupying
more room; for example, a good
sod Of Meadow Fox-tail, six years
old, was found to have about 80
plants to the foot, or less than one
to each square inch; there are
5000, 600 seed of this grass to a
bushel; consequently about two
thirds of a bushel would seed an
acre, if all grew. Glover plants oc-
cupy as much space, and a peck to
half a bushel is a good seeding.
The preceding table will show
the proportions Of each to take, in
forming a mixture Of several sorts.
The writer of this article has
tried thick seeding to great advan-
tage; from half a bushel to a bushel
Of mixed timothy and clover having
nearly doubled the crop from ordi-
nary qualities, and rendered it finer
and softer. The coarse and harsh
character OF hay from new mead
ows would be avoided by heavy
seeding.
Depth of burying. Much seed
is lost by want of moisture and no
covering, and much by burying too
deep with the harrow. By careful
experiments it appears hat most of
the common species of grass grow
best when covered not over one
fourth of an inch deep at a depth
Of three-fourths to one inch only
one-half grows: and nearly all
kinds, including red clover, fail
when buried two or three inches.
The character of the soil would
make much difference for exam
pie, seed might be buried nearly
twice as deep on light sandy as on
strong loans. Seed sown on
smooth mellow ground, and rolled,
will generally be covered from a
quarter to half an inch, and will
succeed well if not followed by
drouth. On light and thin soils, a
fine harrow, made of many large
cut nails, driven through plank,
slOnino backwards. will do GOOD