Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-02-05
SUCCESSFUL FARMING,


paper on
SUCCESSFUL FARMING.
In our New England farming the grass
crop is the crop above all others that
should engage the most of our attention;
hence pillow as little as possible. Plant
only Il few hoed crops. TILED land re-
quires much more labor than land in
grass. Grass, with its immense mass of
libres and roots, forms sponge-like body
that lives by constant feeding upon nutri-
ton within reach, serves to arrest the
waste Of manure that would otherwise
pass down TO the subsoil beyond the reach
of plant want; hence, the importance of
feeding the grass crop lightly and often.
The productiveness Of newly seeded
grass land should be kept up as long rs
possible. | have land from which | have
taken sixteen successive crops of grass
(not hay) and the crop is quite good yet.
Top dressing, IL little and often, is one of
the reasons Of continued productiveness.
The more productive the land is the better
is thc quality of the grass. But the best
method to keep up or retain the fertility
OF the soil is to cut the grass early and
often, two or three crops yearly as the case
may be. The younger the grass, the more
The milk and beef. Again, the Younger
the grass, the less it will require to accom-
pliSh given results Still again, the younger
the grass the more you will get per acre,
as Il rule. This may seem somewhat par
adoXical, but when we take into consider
alton the fact (for fact it s) that our
atmosphere is the great reservoir of plant
life by about two-thirds above that of the
soil we shall not be so much surprised.
All vegetation while young and tender
receives far more of its food from the
atmosphere than it does from the soil.
| While in this state, there is but II very
limited quantity of mineral in its make,
up; but later, while the stalk and seed are
periecting. the plant is being supplied
largely from the soil. Now the soil is
rapidly declining and losing its fertility
running out, as we say, Seeding or
maturing plant is exhaustive to soil.
What farmer is there who does not know
that two crops of hcrdsgrass seed. here in
New England, will exhaust the soil upon
which it is raised? If then, late cut hay
is 50 exhaustive to soil, it necessarily fol-
lows that early cut grass will be much
less exhaustive
| am aware that but few farmers will
now endorse these views, but one thnr |
notice, and that is that some of our best,
most experienced and practical farmers
are coming to believe and practice it SO
far It's cutting their Grass early is concern.
ed.
Another method of keepjng nm the
productiycncss of our grass CROP is to
avoid the almost universal practice of
pasturing our grass land in the fall and
somewhat in the spring. Slightly feeljpo
in the fall in some cases NAV be Desirable
perhaps, but spring feeding should he
avoided under all circumstances.
On the supposition that the GRASS cron
should be the main and primary cron, #
would follow that ton DRESSING vouli ho
the method for the application of mannre
Much discretion is necessary in order TO
know Just how, when and on whnt land
manure should be applied. AGAIN. the
lay of the land. the time of the wear and
the condition of the grass cron must ho
considered. Take New England rs ;,
whole, on an average, there is no over
feeding. yet immense local acres are
| largely over fed every wear In ovnr.
feeding there is a double evil. fret a
waste of food, and second. nm ininrv IL
done to that which is fed, whether il be
plant, an animal or man.
All nutrient material is slowly assimi-
lated, hence the quantity of feed sboulI be
in harmony with the laws of assimilation
in order TO avoid waste and to nrevant
injury, So he nearer we can meet The nat.
ural want of plant bv rirhtlv feedinr
the same the nearer we Shall apnroYin,ntoo
tie point of non-waste in the annlication
of manure. The lighter the soil. the liohi.
er and the oftener should be the anniico.
ton of nutrient material. Grass that is on
| light, sandy and oravelIv soil sbonId