The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-05-20
Grass. Seeding Without Grain.

Mr.. Oliver Sawyer's question in the
Tribune of late date in regard to Ken
lucky blue grass, or June grass as it is
more properly called through the East
ern States, suggests the propriety o.
some remarks in regard to the too COM
mon practice of sowing grass seed with
grain in laying down land. l consider
it very wasteful and very poor economy.
1 do not deny that it may succeed in
some cases. Where the land is rich
and in good cultivation, grass will en-
dure great deal of hard usage, and 1
have never known q piece sown down
with any grain that would not have
done much better if it had been sown
alone; that is, a proper mixture of
grass seed without any grain.
A grain crop depletes the land to q
considerable extent and interferes with
the free growth of the grass in all
cases. When it is cut and harvested,
especially if it happens to be hot and
dry, the tender plants, having been
shaded and weakened by the grain,
suffer very much from the drought and
are often killed entirely. They are not
and cannot be strong and healthy. Now
grass is the great leading crop in high
northern latitude and always must be.
We buy the seed at considerable ex-
pense, and we ought to give it all the
chance in our power to encourage it to
do well. What is the use of buying and
sowing the seed in such way as to in
jurc or destroy it? Let us sow it by it.
self and SO give it all the chance we
can. 1t is far better economy and will
give us far better results.
If the land is clean and not liable to
run up to weeds, grass seed can safely
be sown early in spring. Formerly this
was the universal practice, and it often
resulted well. If the land was thor
oughly prepared the previous fall, SO
that we are not obliged to work it over
in the spring, the chance of success in
spring sowing will be better than if we
have to wait till the land is fit to work
and then sow it. But this is not usual
~ the case, and if we wait till the
ground is dry and then plow, and har-
row, and sow the seed, we shall be
likely to suffer from weeds. From the
middle of August to the middle of Sep
TENDER is, on the whole, q better time
to sow grass seed, and if for any
reason it is improbable to SOW then,
we could prepare the ground and sow
the seed late in the fall, just as the
ground is freezing up. Then the seed
will start early in the spring and get
ahead of the weeds. It will do better,
SO far as my experience goes, than
spring sowing.
Again, as to mixtures. We use too
few kinds as general rule. We ought
to follow Nature in this respect. If we
examine the turf of an old field or pas
ture where Nature has had her way for
a few years, we will find at least twelve
or fifteen species Of grasses. A large
number Of species will give Us much
better results than one or two. We
should sow the early grasses by them
selves, and the late ones by them
selves in different fields. That econ
omises labor. The early grasses
will be in . condition to cut by
the middle of June, and the late ones
early in July. The different fields come
into condition in succession, and the
work Of haying is less crowded. Or
chard grass, June or Kentucky blue
grass, tail oat grass, perennial rye
grass and the cl0vers are early. Tim
0thy, red-top and q few other grasses
are late. Let rs keep them by them
selves, the early and the late.-Prof
Charles L. Flint, in N. Y. 1ri6aHe.