Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1879-10-23
tarm anO AonsfboIo.
Grass Culture.

The grass crop j. the most important
crop raised by the farmers Of Maine
When the hay crop comes in, in good
condition and with abundant yield, al
though other crops may be small, the
farmer i prosperous. II. however. the
hay crop. from any cause is light. or
nearly failure, although other crops
may he fine average, the farmer feels
the misfortune severely. and finds his
agricultural operations attended with
very little satisfaction or profit.
1t is the hay crop, which determines
the prosperity or adversely Of the farm
ers generally. Yet the amount oil direct
attention given to the culture and en-
richmeut Of the grass crop i compare
lively small Very few farmers manure
their grass lands direcii, tor the increase
of the hay product. They viii break
up a piece. when it ceases to produce
grass abundanily. dress IL well, raise
corn or POTATOES, then seed il down with
crop OF wheat, and leave il TO bear
gra,, a. long a. il will. Ths yield OF
grass j. usually quite ample Tor two.
three OF even five wears, than 1t de-
c.iues. sud il i soon necessary 10 repeat
the blowing, dressing sad seeding
a. consequence q; thi, method. =
farmer really needs 10 20 over lii whole
farm about once in escIy four or fSc
years, in order 10 keep al Ai- land Boo
good grass. and wou.i need - lave
shout hall OF 10 under the pow al. TIE
time. Bly til. j. something that oTd,.
Manly cannot De done. There : not
manure ozough 90 Dies any eai,.t,l-
able portion OF the farm every ear. uor
j. there time FOR cu!iiyEliuE % eNtsr-
siyely D. ihi. would Imply.
When a fed i seeded 10 gfA-- and
Ia. borne two or three heavy crops ui
hay aud begins to show signs Of falling
in Weld. then j, the time 20 Gre-- ID.
The graz. roots are all there. in Vigor-
GU, condition, and all that j. wanted. =
something for-them TO feed upon. 4
light top-dres>ing OF a cord OF good
well pulyerized bain Yard manure. per
acre. spread broadcast. will wonder
fully improve the production OF gra>s
and give the field renewed lease OF
productiveness, almost equal TO the firs'
seeding. Two or three or even tour
good crops may be obtained. Conse-
queuily four or five cords of manure or
what is usually applied to one acre I'M
der the pillow. when spread broadcast
will reuovate four or five acres OF grass
which has been seeded only two or three
years and i ju.t beginning to fail, 80
that il will produce abundantly aud 8 :
long as newly laid down fields. When
il again shows signs Of falling, the same
process should be repeated and many
fields might thus be kept producing
abundant crops of hay twenty or thirty
wears in succession. and the total pro-
daction Of hay with the limited amount
of manure at disposal will be consider
ably increased. The effectiveness Of
manure seems 10 be largely increased
by applying TO the surface OF the ground.
Nature adopts this method Of ferlilizing
ground. as we see in forests where the
leaves falling upon the surface keep it
moist. and increased its fertility aud
productiyeness, although they are not,
In themselves. possessed OF a great
amount of fertilizing substance. Sur
face manuriug seems 10 increase The
power of the soil TO draw moisture and
fertilizers from below even down into
tke eub-soil, and the keeping OF the
surface moist and light, so as TO be
easily penetrated by the air. is favorable
to the absorption Of fertilizing material
from the air such a. ammonia, snd other
elements. SO that really more effect i.
produced by surface manuring than by
Incorporating the manure with the soil
Another advantage derived from toy
dressing grass land. whereby the field
is kept in grass for several years in sue
cession, is the thickness of the grass in
the swarG. The longer the grass sward
remains unbroke1if, at the same time it
is kept fertile, tie greater will be the
necessity OF grass roots, aud spears Of
grass to the square foot. The sward OF
rich pasture is closely packed, filed
out, and interviewer with grass plants.
and an innumerable number of spears
OF grass will be seen springing from il
while the sward of newly seeded
ground will be seen comparatively few
plants springing up, and yet they seem
to fully cover the ground. An indus
trious farmer in Massachusetts, a few
years since. counted with great care ID,
number OF plants upon square foot o
grass seeded from two 10 six wears. IN,
number OF plants varied from IS TO 40
Upon old, rich pastures and irrigated
fields from 1000 TO 1898 plants wer,
found upon each square foot.
A favorite problem in agriculture ha,
been to show how to make two spear
of grass grow where there was onl,
one formerly. Now it would seem frou
the above fact, that keeping fields for
long time seeded TO grass and produc
tive by top-dressing, will have some
thing to do with the solution of III,
problem. If the longer a field is KEEP
in grass and in good condition. tn,
greater the number of plants TO IN.
square foot becomes, it is manifest,
evident, that il is desirable TO kee,
grass lands permanently in grass for
considerable period.
But il may be objected to this pro
posed system of top-dressing, that farm
ers have not the manure 10 spare for tn,
purpose; that they already have use 70
more fertilizers than they can obtain
This is undoubtedly true, but the objec
is to apply the natures in the wa.
which will produce the greatest effec