Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1879-01-24

| -, ~ 1eeulnS
heir Ies''-<r. muir growth. Ihe
,Dstant use of cover IS Iouno 70
ye the grass grow IAN, with bare spots
grssshoppers sometimes eat so close as
t1iIl the grass in a short time. Close feed
ing in Winter deprives the plants OF the
protection which their growth above ground
affords. and the roots and soil are both IN
1ured by the treading os the stock when the
ground is soft. Wheat growers nnd II
necessary for the plants to get good stand
in the Fall and leave the growth above
oround for its protection during the WIN
FOR For the same reasons meadows should
NOT he fed in the Fall, Winter or Spring
and pastures should be left with coat OF
Grass on them. This feed is not lost, 1t IS
more than compensated for by the increased
nroduct of the next season. Talking with
q young farmer on this subject, he said ne
had a piece of clover which grew nice IN the
Fall and he was anxious to get his sheep
on it but could not on account OF other
| croDs in the field. The next season ne was
surprised at the large yield it produced,
| and thought it was fortunate he did not
have a chance to spoil it by feeding the
| Fall before. =,
That it is not the exhaustion of the soil
which reduces the crop in the pastures IS
shown by the fact that the crop can be in
creased 6y a change of treatment without
the addition of fertilizers.
The Improvement, both in quantity and
quality, of the grasses on the roadsides Is
an illustration Of this. q have heard men
saw that this was owing to the tertlllzlns
effects of the road dust, but never knew
one claim to have observed these effects tC
extend beyond the road fence.)
A dairy farm which had been rented fol
ten wears bv a man who allowed COWS, sheeE
and colts to roam over it at will all winter
was rented to another man, who conhnec
his stock in winter, only allowing them u
90 TO water. Going over these pastures
with this man, remarked that they sP
neared to be improving. He said thel
were: he thought they produced twice q
much feed as the first year he had them
THIS was his third year.
a good pasture, if allowed to grow up
will produce a good crop OF hay; DuV
ibink If would surprise some Of our farm
o-l .'r n see what kind of a crop their pas
/ | fnres would produce if left to grow up 10
| a season: to see how little there IS lett o
| onr best grasses, and how much OF Tn
{ | ground IS occupied by what is nearl
TFortbIess. wild grass, weeds, moss, etc.
Cattle feed off the best grasses hrsi
l | Those parts of the field which produC
? them are always fed the closest; and her
the grass runs out first, so that not only
, the amount produced less, but the quallt
crows poorer. Many turn out their Stoc
TO pasture early in the season to have thel
> eat the wild grasses which grow on the VI
3 lands. 1t is true they will eat them whe
y there is nothing else, but when better Zee
= crows these are left. 1t does not pay
q raise them. Open bitches should be mac
e which will carry of standing water tro
o the surfaee. which is necessary for the
J. Growth. and these wild grasses will die OF
n and better ones take their place. Many
n the pastures in this county can be impro
"a ed in this way by small outlay Of lsbO
, IN most eases this is better than plOwin
II | for grass generally does not grow as W,
a after the soil has been plowed As before.
- There is a grass which has shown its
quite extensively, many farmers hayl
-, more of it than they wish to see call
'U poverty grass. When it is once estabi'
ed it spreads rapidly, ripening its seeds
III fore meadows are generally mOwn.
lu the pastures cattle eat little Of it VII
there are better grasses, so 1t genera
er seeds there. These seeds retain their Wit
as itv long time; so that when the grou
nd | IS once stocked 1t remains there TO gr
nd when it has q chance. 1t does not make
lst strong turf, is easily killed by plowing,
is starts again the first opportunity.
N; had an example Of this in seeding field
nv grass after wheat. The parties sowing
Isy seed tried to sow the width Of one rod a
cast. The result was that every rod III
,l, was a space not reached. As far as
~ seed was sown there was good catch
.Wno nv timothy, and on the rest there was as &
'o- a show Of poverty grass; when the timo
fails the poverty grass will cover the wi
g ground 1t is not a profitable grass
zen raise, but is better than bare ground
as weeds. 1t makes fair quality Of
when cut early, but il left till ripe is no
sc. good Us straw.
ool Some farmers talk about getting rid
this grass by close feeding. They say