The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-11-20

orazes it until after the crop of hay has been

saved.
s.Now for the result. The next spring or
early summer so soon as the orchard grass
is in blossom mot brown or seeded) the clo-
yer will be ready also. Cut all for feed, or
cure and put away as hay in place OF fodder.
You may safely expect two or three thous'
and pounds of hay. Suffer nothing to Craze
it init the first of December. then let your
~un on it an hour or two each day in open
weather until the 18th Of March. This acre
will supply the horses with more hay and
in the fall. winter. spring and summer than
any other grass yet introduced into Nir-
ginia. 1t is the only grass that grows with
US all he year round, except only when the
ground is frozen. 1t is not as exhaustive TO
land as is timothy. 1t will grow on any dry
land. not excepting a sand bank. And here
LEI me say, the best grasses love a dry soil.
We usually seek the bottoms and moist
places to grow timothy. Why? Because
the grass is not we'll suited to our soil or
climate. Nor are we the lOOsers thereby so
long as our orchard grass and clover are &C
cessible.
'sThe orchard grass will stand the inva-
sion of broom-straw. II you will practice a
little patience and not suffer it to be grazed
until it has formed a sod, then you can't
hurt it except with hogs or plough. If any
farmers are usually scarce Of fodder about
the 1st of June or little sooner, let them try
an acre lot. 1t will be just in time for your
wants. If You want a lot always green for
an idle horse to run in, this will supply 1t
or green grass in winter for your COW, this
is the only grass that will furnish it. Try
it ON a sand bank if you can't do better.
l have never been without a orchard grass
patch since commenced with it in 1870.
1 have had an acre adjoining my yard that
has been in this grass for six years. 1t was
used entirely as a pasture. The fowls lived
almost entirely upon it, and all the stock
were allowed to run on it as soon as it would
get a good start.
81 ploughed it up this year for the pur-
pose of reseeding, but more to thoroughly
manure it, as | really belive if everything
had been kept off the orchard grass would
have reasserted itself. I had another patch
Of four acres that had been in this grass for
three years. 1t had pastured SO constantly
by hogs, colts and calves, and often mules,
that | thought, as the saying is. 'it had run
out, and l concluded that late in the fall |
would sow orchard grass; that I would ma
nure it heavily with cotton seed, SOW in oats
and then this fall SOW again in grass. The
winter was very severe and most of the oats
were killed out, but in the spring [ saw
something putting in an appearance that |
knew was not oats, and | found on exami-
nation that [ had a fine stand of orchard
grass. mention this incident to show the
hardhood Of the plant.
"My choice of time for sowing is Sep
tember. Sow with oats, or best, if you will
do it, SOW it and clover by themselves. /
would be glad if you could have seen some
hogs / have raised almost entirely on orch
ard grass and clover. They would make
believers if there are any doubling Thorn
ases.'
''Our next best artificial grass, l think, is
Lucerne. Some few years ago | sowed a
few handfuls Of Lucerne seed in one corner
of a clover patch, more for curiosity than
otherwise. | soon found If any kind of
stock were turned in the patch to grass they
would find the Lucerne spot, and seemed to |
prefer it. So 1 concluded to try more of
it. Last fall l took an OLD garden spot
of an half acre that was lite .,lly run away
with nut grass and sowed it in Lucerne.
Now all the books said sow IN drills two
feet apart; cultivate until it takes posses
sion of the ground, but my idea has always
been in sowing any forage crop to get rid
OF this cultivation. SO mine was sOwn
broadcast, it and the dock chicken-weed,
&, and had a lively time in the spring.
But by putting in a hand every wet day
and pulling up the weeds the Lucerne soon
got the mastery, and whilst 1t has not en-
tirely killed out the nut grass, its dense
shade has crowded more of it out than any,
thing | have ever tried. | don't think it
Will stand our hot suns hardly as we'll as
clover, but all stock are fond of it, and it's
great advantage over clover is it never sal
%ivates, 1T is ready for use sooner in the
spring than clover, it can he cut and fed
green in the early spring, in the summer
made into hay. and in the autumn again
cut and fed green. 1t is highly priced in
England, but can only he cultivated in the
southern counties. In France. Spair.
Switzerland, Italy, and in fact in ali the
warm aud dry countries of Europe, it is the
chief reliance for stock feeding"
(TO BE CoNTINUED.)