Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-06-25
The Hay CrOp.


Does it not seem strange for us to try to
make our most valuable product stolen "
crop as grass so generally is,-to give it the
leavings of the fertility in the soil after a
grain or root crop has been grown on the
land Aud as regards our pastures, where
is the sense or business in expecting them
continually to furnish a supply of feed to
stock yarded every night, and not to run
out2 Many of our farmers have thus about
destroyed their pasturage; yet we not un-
frequently see articles written by them in
agricultural papers recommending the prac-
tice because it increases the quality of ma
nure available for use upon mowings and til
lage land 1t is said that the pastures Of
the state will not carry half as much stock
as they would twenty or thirty years ago.
This may be somewhere near the truth of
most pastures. We think it is; yet we
know of pastures that carry more stock
now than they ever did, and are still i'm
proving. What makes the difference
How can farmer side with those favor
currying writers who say that an increase
of knowledge and better system of rural
education is not needed, while at the same
time they complain of the declining ferti-
ity of their grass lands, as we have heard SO
many Of them do at agricultural meetings.
We do not pretend to be able to instruct
our readers upon the best way for each of
fbav,, IN, 10 tbair 1anI ham and hot
ter grass. We are not grass farmer, and
might not succeed any better at it than any
of our neighbors but we think we should
try. If at first we didn't succeed we should
feel sure that we did not know enough, and
if any popular agricultural orator or writer
should tell us that we did, we know at least
what we should think of him. By most
fourteen years of hard work, and constant
seeking for information both by the hearing
of the ear and the seeing of the eye, we
have learned to grow apples successfully
when everybody else had failed. First we
were told we were fool to try and now all
the comfort we get from the same parties is
that anybody else could have done Just as
well in the same place-a place they called
in the beginning particularly unfit for the
business.
We are older now, but we think there is
life and energy enough left in us to learn so
much about raising grass as at least not to
let good grass land "run out :" under our
management. We are ignorant of many of
the best methods, and especially of the de-
tails of such work but we can learn. If we
wanted to know how to keep up and improve
a pasture we would go and see such men as
ed" Mason, our Dairy Associations pres
ident and what he wrote ON the subject in
the papers we should not only read, but we
should cut it out and save it and read it
over again, and compare it with what others
taught us, and with the results OF our own
experience. If anybody tried to tell us that
we knew enough, we would-well, we would
not kick him, for some of them are big,
tall men, who can beat us at kicking, if not
at farming Probably we should think it
best Just to take no notice of them at all,
but 60 on trying to learn how to raise grass.
When it comes to mowing-land, we are
sure at least of this, that we should not seed
down to grass with wheat on ground that
we had not made rich enough to give us fif-
teen bushels of grain to the acre. If we
could so fit the land as to enttle us to thirty
or forty bushels we might put on grassseed
with the wheat. If we did, we should not
60 housing round to all the stores to see
who had the cheapest seed, regardless of
quality. Nor would we SOW the least posi-
BILE quantity that would go over the land.
We would try for the best seed, and put on
enough of it, and if the land was well fitted
we should not expect the next June to be
bowling because there was more red than
green to be seen there.
We think also that we should want to
know something about the value of other
grasses besides herdsgrass and clover. We
know that in the countries where the best
farming prevails, where they have the best
pastures and the finest stock, dozen kinds
of grass are as well and better known thar
our herdsgrass 0imothy), and are often pre-
ferred to it. A little Of the spirit of enter
prise thet 10 now much needed to "mals,
farming pay" would lead, we should think
to some inquiry about these grasses, espe
cially in dairy country. Orchard-grass il
with us worth twice as much as timothy Il
sow with clover, but we suppose three-quar
ters of the farmers of New England woulC
not know it if they should see it growing
and would wonder at a load of hay in which
it took the place of timothy. Such old 70
gyism is not the way TO lift off the load o
hard times. We ought to know enough Il
vote right, in the first place; but neverthe
less it is true that
Few are the ills which men endure
That laws create, or laws can cure"
And if we had the intelligence to under
stand the nature of the political evils tina
depress the country and help to make u
poor, we should also, with the same intelli
gence, discern the right way to raise NOR
hay and improve our pastures. perennial
wept over the condition of his country, an
he had reason, as the result showed. w
don't feel at all discomposed, therefore
when we are compared with that JEWS
sage. 1t is hard times and we know it, an
so does every farmer in the land. We b,
lieve the cure is TO be found in hard wor
enlightened by hard study. We believe e,
cry good father and mother on our farm
who regret their own limited knowledge
want to see their sons and daughters have
better training to begiu with than the
themselves had. And we expect to kee
talking and writing about these things
more knowledge and better farming-fc
some time yet.
Corn.
A Mama IA H.