Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-03-13
The far111 aud fireside,
GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS.

GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS.
Editor tSoutherra Liye Stock Journal: Plan
ters are constantly writing me inquiring about
grasses and other foliage plants, and the fol-
lowing paragraphs may be acceptable to many
of your readers. They are written at the ear
nest request of one Of our oldest and most dis
tinguished editors for the benefit of, and IN
answer to inquiries of distinguished foreign
er from far distant land ."'
Yours truly, D. l.. PHAREs.
... LUCERNE.
Sow in drills 12 or Is inches apart, Is
pounds per acre, or broadcast 70 pounds on
rich, well-drained land. Sending Its roots
yery deep, it is little affected by drought, even
where sand.is abundant in the soil. The OBJ
ject Of sowing in drills is to cultivate the first
year, to keep down weeds and grass, to obtain
more vigorous growth. If not drilled, plenty
of seeds as above must be sown to overcome
weeds and grass. Nothing should be soWn
with it. Sow any time from September lst to
November 1st ;ior better, perhaps, from Feb
ruary 18th to April 1st. I have seen it in
bloom and ready for moving i'll February, and
every few weeks thereafter during the sum-
mer, varying according to moisture OF the sea-
son audi quality of land. 1t makes a! large
quantity Of good hay, relished by all kinds of
| live stock. tits better, however, for soiling.
For this purpose it should be cut and allowed
to remain on the ground till next day, and
ttenfed. Thus deprived of most Of it's moist
IRE, the animal must maSticate 1t more per-
fectly, it is tligested more completely, and does
not scour OF otherwise mjure. 1t should not
be grazed, for stock biting off the crowns kill
it. For all grasses and clovers the land should
be deeply and thoroughly broken and the sur
face finely comminnted, however many plough
ings and harrowings may he required to effect
this object; The seed should be lightly har-
rowed OF brushed III, and if the surface be
very light or dry it should be rolled.
KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS.
In mixtures SOW four pounds per acre; alone
20 to 26 pounds z bushels) per acre, from
September till November, or January to April;
best, perhaps, in March in this latitude 1t
usually makes little show for two or three
years. Excellent for pasture and hay.
80 : = ORCHARD GRASS -
is excellent both for hay and pasture. To pre-
vent formation of tussOcks it should be heavi-
ly seeded-twO bushels or more per acre alone;
or six pecks with one peck of red clover. This
is a good combination for grazing and hay.
Having plenty of long, tibrous roots it is not
damaged by grazing OF drought. This and
red top may be S0wn from January till April
or not quite so well in September or October
g.. TALL oAT GRASS.
A very valuable grass alone for pasture or
hay, OF mixed with Others for pasture. 1t has
abundant long fbrous roots, and it's vitality is
little affected by drought or grazing. 1t fur
nishes grazing in winter as well us spring and
summer, and grows on any good soil. Like
orchard grass in habit, it must be sown thick
ly, two OF three bushels per acre, the bushel
being seven pounds. 1t may be sown in Sep
tember, October, November, February and
March. ....
WHAT THE BEST GRASSES FOR PASTURES.
This depends on whether the pasture is for
one season, or to be permanent, as we'll as To-
cation, soil, drainage, etc. For single Win
ter. the testimony, 50 far as known to me, is
strong commentator of our native wild bronze
grass. Many however speak from single ex-
pertinent, and with little or no knowledge of
other grasses. So that we must accept these
statements with due reserve and caution.
Two winters it gave me luxuriant, tender
grazing from October till April or May; but
this winter it is three months later, not COM
ing up till November, and even now it is very
short although no stock has been on it till
this, January IL. Others inform me that seed
grown here do not germinate till November,
and that for early fall pasture, seed must be
imported annually from Southern Europe
But this know is not necessarily so ; for it is
indigenous in our Southern States, and / have
seen good grazing early in October from native
seed More probably it depends on character
of the season.
Several other plants furnish good winter
pasture, but none are so valuable as barley. l
have year after year sown wheat, oats, rye,
barley, etc., side by side, for winter pasture !;
and 20 years ago l reached the conclusion
that barley was more valuable than all Others
It affords grazing earlier, more abundantly,
grows sooner and more rapidly after being
grazed down, is more relished by stock and
more wholesome. It does not lie on the ground
like rye, but stands up so that stock eat less
sand. dirt and other unWholeSome matters in
grazing it. With me, when all other kinds OF
grain were destroyed by rust, it was never af-
fected by that, or any other disease or contin-
gency of weather
It is gratifying to see in the Southern Culti-
Gator, from the pen of it's experienced, cautious
and very able editor, like estimate of the
value of barley for winter pasture. Sown in
August or September, it affords good grazing
from October till May If stock are taken off
in March, good crop of seed may be harvest
ed; OF if not all desired for seed, swine may
he turned on it, and for month or two, prob
ably nothing could benefit them more. Sow
three bushels per acre.
1 failed to mention at the proper place, one
of the very best of naturalized grasses, both
| for pasture and meadOW-the Bermuda. 1t
would do well on any good land; l have seen
Red and White clOvers do pretty we'll among
it and possibly some of the grasses named
above might do equally well, such as the oat
grass, red top or wild bronze.
DEFECTIVE SEEDS
render heavy seeding necessary sometimes
from ten to ninety per cent. of the seeds pur-
chased failing to germinate. 1t is well to test
every lot of seed before sowing, to ascertain
what per centage will germinate, and to SOW
accordingly. And as seeding large farm is
very expensive, with bought seed, it is good
plan to have separate lots set, each with pick
ed seed of single grass, for the purpose OF
propagating such sound seeds as we may wish
for mixtures or other purposes. Thus large
area may in a few years be satisfactorily set in
grasses at moderate cost.
SOWING GRASS SEEDS.
The best means of sowing grain and grass
seeds of all kinds, that l have used, is the
Cahoon Broad Cast seed sower which [ have
used for many years with entire satisfaction.
Pearce's Improved CahOon is worth Sc at the
manufactory. One may SOW five or ten acres
of grain per hour with it. Grass seed should
never be sown while the wind blows; but If
this cannot be, the next best thing to do, is to
travel with the wind in sowing the seed. IL
to be sown by hand, mark the land in narrow
strips and divide the seed i'll as many parcels
rs strips of land then walking lengthwlSe the
strip, SOW half the seed intended for it ; and
returning on the same strip, SOW the other
half Thus more equal and regular distrlbu-
rion of seed is effected, and as consequence,