The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1880-06-30
JUNE.
SOWING GRASS SEEDS.

A farmer sends to the Elmra
Farmers Club the following &C
count Of his experience IN sowing
grass seed: "six years ago, after
having used grain drill with grass
seeder attachment, which distrl-
bused grass seed very evenly and
accurately as to the desired amount
I thought hand-seeder might be
made on the same plan, to work
with the same accuracy. l avalled
myself OF the advantage OF my own
mechanical skill, and made one
twelve and one-half feet long,
which covers two widths OF my
drill and six inches over to avoid
little baulks. I used two boards
four inches wide and one-fourth
of an inch thick, put together
four inches wide at the top and
the bottom one and one-fourth
inches wide zinc, perforated suit
ably, through which the seed IS
distributed with perfect uniformity.
1t will hold over areck and weighs
twelve pounds. A seed rod five
eighshs of an inch square and snita-
bly, formedet to agitate the seed
works on the top ofthe zinc bottom
by a small lever with the right
hand, and it is so natural for even
a novice to move the lever toward
him every time he puts down his
foot that his first job is better
done than can be by hand with Or
dinary care. A loose slide under
the zinc bottom opens or closes
any or all the holes through which
the seed is distributed, so that the
operator can in an instant regu-
late the amount Of seed per acre
as he desires, and the indicator,
in plain view, shows all the time
how much seed is using. The drill
Sharks are a sure guide to SOW by,
and no need Of tapping to avoid
thin streaks. A perfectjob can be
done by walking as fast as. you
wish, which shows that three acres
per hour will require no extra
ordinary effort, and as the seed has
less than three feet to fall, a little
wind is no material detrlment.
Any one who has a good seeder on
his drill can get a mechanic to
make one on the same plan, any
length he wishes, at so little cost
that the average farmer may be
benefited twice its cost every year,
judging from the streaked clover
fields we often see. I ought to
state that q seeder must be made
with reasonable accuracy and pre-
cision, or disappointment will be
the result. Some good farmers
recommend the practice Of sowing
both ways to make sure that there
will be no thin nor missed spots,
but this is doubling the labor and a
waste of seed if some places have
more seed than is necessary, and
this extra labor and seed We ought
to think We cannot afford. l
should be glad at any time to
show to any person that this SIM
pie machine will perform fully up
to my strong recommendation, and
I think that some machine or some
manufacturing company ought to
make them by the thousands and
supply a much needed article at
very small cost. I don't wish to
advocate light seeding, but | be-
lieve much is wasted by applying a
useful amount to part Of the sur
face in order to insure enough on
other parts. I was caught once
with FIVE acres to seed on oats and
no seed in the market. I had three
pecks Of clover and timothy mixed,
which was left when I sowed on
wheat a few weeks earlier, which |
applied with care to reach ever the
field, and the next seaton was dis
appointed to see a heavy growth Of
clover. No manure was used nor
other chance for seed. Since then
I have experimental by sowing at
the rate Of six, ten, fifteen and
twenty quarts per acre on narrow
strips side by side, and no visible
difference appeared when it grew
up. I generally SOW no more than,