The Red Cloud chief., 1881-09-15
Orchard Grass.

The leading crop of the American
farmer is grass. Either in the form of
pasture OF meadow, the various grasses,
including clover (Which is not a grass
according TO the botanist), furnish an
amount OF food hat could not well be
supplied in any other way. We are
sometimes inclined to overlook the i'm
portance of the grasses. because they
are. a such, so little represented in the
markets. There is much truth in the
biblical expression, "All flesh is grass"
and likewise not only the various meats
used fer home consumption and to go
abroad to feed the hungry of other ma
tons, but also all other products of
farm animals are largely due to the
growth of grass. Wool can be cOnsid-
cred rs a product of the pasture and
the meadow, and rs for milk and butter,
they are still more directly the con-
densed forms of grasses.
The farmer who would be successful.
must keep a sharp eye upon his land
that is down to grass. IL it yields him
a good crop of hay. or furnishes him a
rich pasture for his animals. he may be
quite sure he is on the road to success.
On the other hand, if the meadow is
light, and the pasture furnishes only n
scanty picking. there is little hope that
the year will be a profitable one Look
well to the grass land.
The number of kinds of grasses that
it is profitable to grow is quite large,
SOM of them being better suited for n
set of conditions of soil, climate, etc.
while Others thrive best when the cir
cumstan0s are quite the opposite. A
grass that is now attracting conSidera-
BILE atteLtion, and is worthy of still
more, is the orchard grass (Ddctyis
glomeratnl This grass is generally
known inBngland as "cock' s-foot." and
the seed IS sold as such in foreign seed
stores. Ii is not q native of our coun-
try. but comes to us from Europe. 1t
was brought from England in colonial
times, so that it is an old guest, and is
in fact so much at home here that we
can call it a regular resident well
come member of our group of valuable
grasses. This orchard grass was SO
successful N its growth in Virginia in
the early DAYS that its seed was taken
back to England as orchard grass in
1894, and thus a new and increased in
terest wa created in it under its new
name. Since that time the culture of
orchard gratis has largely increased, and
it now holds a high rank as IN agricult-
urel fodder plant.
One of our leading authorities on
grasses writes of the orchard grass as
follows: "We may say that we know of
no other grass, not even the universal
~ cultivated timothy, SO well deserv-
ing the attention of our farmers for
hay and pasturage as orchard grass.
1t adapts itself to all varieties Of soil:
its stems are very leafy; it does well
in the shade of trees; it gives a heavy
aftermath, and it is in its best condi-
ton. in blossom, at the anne time as
red clover; all of these being in its
favor as a meadow grass For pastures
it is quite as valuable, starting quite
early in spring; pushing a new growth
very rapidly after it has been grazed
over; lasting late in the fall, and endur-
ing drouth better than almost any
other" There IRE some objections to
the orchard grass. 1t has 3 tendency
to grow in tussocks. thus giving an un-
even surface to the meadow or pasture.
The plants have a weak hold upon the
soil, the roots not being large or deep.
On this account the grass is sometimes
pulled up by the roots as it is being fed
upon by cattle. Thick seeding will
overcome, very largely, the first obiec-
ton, and the second can be remedied
by a rolling early in spring as o as
the grass starts, and also by not turn
ing cattle upon the seeded land until
the roots have made a good growth.
1t should not Be pastured the first sea-
son. Like timothy, the seed of the
orchard grass may be sown with the
grain crops either in the spring or fall.
Two bushels Of seed per acre is little
enough. using about fifteen pounds Of
clover seed with it-Cor. Country Gen.
tleman.
There are now but 1e0 books
printed in raised characters for the
blind, and steps are being taken in Bos-
ton to raise a fund so as opr;nt ut least