The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-06-06

49,
meadow grass. the rough head
cocks foot Il. Z. orchardJ grass the
perennial rye grass, and the meadow
cats tail grass. OF those best cut
in flower are meadow foN-tA.l,
smooth stalked meadow grass, ~
right bent grass, morrow leaYco
meadow grass, red clover, luccru.
the several kinds Of fcscue grass,
meadow soft grass, and yellow oat
grass.
Lucern has very largely the most
nutritive matter II II acre, 800
pounds. and i the best for selling.
Next Is the tall fescue grass, II cut
in flower. 3,9oS pounds; but which
falls of TO 2.392 pounds II cut IN
seed. Next IS meadow cats tan
grass. when cut IN seed, 1868
pounds: but which has only l,595
pounds per acre of nutrltlve matter
If cut in flower. Red clover fur
nishes 1,9l4 pounds of nutrltlye
matter per acre; and salnfoln only
345 pounds. Sweet-scented soft
grass affords only Go pounds when
cut in flower, but increases # cut
when in seed to 2,232 pounds, or
800 per cent. Rough head orchard
grass affords 1859 IN flower and
l,45l pounds IN seed-only 50 per
cent. increase.
There is comparatively little
farming in the West of the really
intelligent kinda fact that OF It
| self speaks volumes IN favor OF the
AGRICULTURAL and mechanical col
leges established, a few years ago,
through the muniticence of the
general government III most OF the
States. Very few farmers are suf-
ficientIy educated IN the line OF
their vocation to understand these
differences in the grasses, or their
relative value, or the adaptaDllIty
of the soils of their farms to pro
duce to advantage any or al Of
them. or the kind most useful to
the stock they raise. We com
mend to them the cocks foot (best
known as orchard) grass.
Cultivation improves Its quality.
Sinclair, as the result of his expert
ments and observation, Il quarter
of a century or more ago, asserted
that orchard grass-if kept closely
cropped by cattle, II by the scythe,
or when made into hay-was L
perior to rye grass and some others,
rs a pasture grass. Oxen, horses
ard sheep eat it readily. tessen-
Den, an agricultural writer of force
and accuracy, said he should raise
It IN preference to almost any other
grass; he observed that COWS are
fond of it. Cooper rated it
Edbove timothy; and said it was
gradually taking the place Of tn
othy on the best farms about Phil
phia, Colonel Powell, a scientific
and iudicious farmer, tried orchard
grass for ten years, and then pub
lished to the agricultural world
chat it contained more pasturagc
than any artificial grass he had seen
in America.
One of the most intelligent OF
the old-time Virginia farmers,
nearly thirty years ago, Col. L.
Walker, of Lewishu-g, recommend
ed it IN strong terms. It's growing
in tussocks could be obviated by
sowing thick. For either meadow
or pasture, two bushels of clean
seed should be sown on an acre.
Some Of his neighbors, who had
watched its growth most closely,
considered it unequaled to mix
with clover for meadow. 1t ripens
at the same time, which admits
the clover to be cut at perfection:
and from its great length of stalks,
keeps the clover from falling. and
thus becoming u and unfit for
hay. Meadow prepared by sowing
gallon of clover, with half a
bushel Of orchard grass seed to the
acre, will afford the largest yield
of hay to the acre Of probably any
known grasses. But too long an
article will weary the reader, or
brighten from its perusal some who
really need to profit by It's sugges-
tons. Some other time, If Your
readers seem to take an interest in
the subject, | will give them the
gathered experience Of several very
practical and sensible farmers, who
have "made money" out of the
study of grasses. Farmers, to be
successful, must study farming.
And those who claim to have
studied farming for sixty years Of
more, find every day new sources
agricultural knowledge and new
fields for scientific cultivation.
The PhOnograph.