The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-11-18
Sowing Grass Seed with Grain.

Sowing Grass Seed with Grain.
History does not inform us who frs
introduced the practice of sowing gras.
seed with grain for the purpose Of seed
ing down land to meadow or pasture
Perhaps the ancients discovered that
various kinds of grass came up natul.
ally in their grain fields, and this lee
them to sow grass seed with wheat In
order to insure better sward after the
grain was harvested. Whatever may
have been the origin of g seeding down
with grain it came into very genera
use and has continued with rare excep.
tons until the present time.
The advantages claimed for the sys,
tenn are thatthe coarser annual grasses,
like wheat, rye, oats and millet, afford
protection to the more slender-growine
perennial kinds, shading the plants
while young and tender and preventing
scorching by drying winds and the hot
sun. In addition, the farmer says, :.
can, by sowing grass seed with my grain
have two crops growing at one time on
the same land, and when the grain is
harvested the grass viii come forward
and furnish fall pasture for cattle, and
the following year it will be strong
enough to NOW for hay" While these
may appear to be advantages worth Sc
curing we doubt much if there, is any
thing gained in sowing grass seed with
any kind of grain in order to secure
good pastures on meadows. We have
for years advocated sowing grass seed
alone and grain alone, and under no
circumstances mixing the two; and we
find this single system is gaining favor
among our most intelligent farmers,
especially in the Eastern States, where
the land is not usually strong enough to
bear double crop of grass, one annual
and the other perennial, at the same
time. sssf ~
In a late discussion of this subject by
the Elmira IN. Y Farmers Club. Mr..
q. w. Hoffman expressed his views as
follows: 81 insist that if we want grass
we must give it control of the land. But
when we SOW the seed and then give
possession of the land to stronger plants
we pursue an absurd policy, and must
not expect grass to succeed. The first
question is: What does the farmer wantp
II wheat is his object, sow it; if grass,
sow that, and give it as fair a-chance as
wheat would have-that is, devote the
land to grass, the crop sought We
think most farmers who have given the
two systems thorough trial will agree
with these remarks, ind where there
may be instances where grass and
wheat may be sown together and fair
success with both obtained, it is scarcely
reasonable to suppose that there will be
no crowding if both occupy the same
land at one time.
The idea that the grass is benefited
by the shade afforded by the grain is
reasonable one, but unfortunately while
the leaves and stems of the grain are
giving shade to the young grass they
are absorbing and dispensing the moist
ure from the soil, which Is Of far more
Importance to the grass than protection
from the sun. Any one who will take
the trouble to examine the soil in
grain field during dry weather in sum-
mer can soon learn why grass is so I'M
certain when sown with winter or spring
grain. In very moist soils, or in moist
like that of Great Britain. SOW
ing grass seed with grain may answer
we'll enough in ordinary farming, but
in our dry climate one. crop at a time is \
I'LL that the farmer can reasonably ex-
pect or should endeayor to make his
land produce.
1T a farmer desires to seed down his
and to timothy, red top, orchard grass.
Or any OF the well-known pasture and
meadow grasses, he should put the land
INTO the best possible condition, either
by thoroughly summer following, or
growing upon. it the previous season
some crop, like potatoes or corn
hat requires clean cultivation in
order that all weeds and the inferior
kinds OF grasses may be DESTROYED; then.
1t the usual time for sowing grain IN
'he fall. sow on the grass seeds desired.
nd nothing else. The more you har-
'ow and pulverize the surface the better.
A seed bed for the smaller grasses
should be even better than for any Of
he ordinary kinds Of grain. If sown
,arly enough to get the full benefit of |
he fall rains, the grass will become |
ufficiently well established before win. |
er sets in to yield q fair crop of herbage |
ne following season, either for pasture /
n hay. ~
There are some species of grasses that +
ucceed better with grain than cethers.
ted top and Kentucky blue grass will T
'ften do wellwhere timothy and orchard
..rass fail, the two-latter being naturally /
tronger and eoarser growers, and for
his reason unable to withstand drought
T crowding. While orchard grass is
me OF our most valuable species, it is |;
ne OF the worst with which we are az.
ualnted for sowing with grain, as it isl
eldom that good stand Of plants can
e obtained under the usual crowding
ystem 1t is naturally bunch grass
ot forming close sward like red ton
nd blue grass, and for this reason Il
eldom succeeds when sown with grain +
,ther in the fall or spring. The seed
houid also be sown in liberal quantities. i.
OF less than three bushels per acre #
o other kinds are mixed with tt: but
mere pasturage as well as hay is de-
red, some Of the finer and less rank
rowing species may be added, to helm
up and make more close and COM
act sod. If any Of our readers have