The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1881-03-03
Farm and Household
TALKS ABOUT FARMING.
40. ZXEII.
ORCHARD GRASS AND IT'S
QUALITIES.
PREFERRED BY MANY TO ALL
OTHER GRASSES.
TALKS ABOUT FARMING.

/ to Orchard Grass-Ddctyt1S gtOHa-
erata-and had commenced prepar-
ing an article on the subject, when
the following, clipped from the Gin
cinnati Gazette, met nay eye, and as
| it covers the ground sOneatly, Igive
the article entire:
ORCHARD GRASS.
Our Home and Farm page, for the
last four years. has borne frequent
and conclusive evidence Of the great
excellence of orchard grass as an
element of good and successful
farming. This grass was transplant
ed to England over a century ago,
and has been successfully cultivated
there under the name of cocks foot,
but VIC have known it in this country
over sixty years, as one Of the best
hay and pasture grasses cultivated
by the Eastern farmers. 1t flourish
Fes in all parts of the United States,
wherever attention has been paid to
its cultivation. It grows readily IN
the shade, and endures drouth eX-
ceedingly well, and has the faculty
of springing up and reproducing
pasture in few days, in a degree
superior to any other kind Of grass.
It's blossoms are rich, straw tender
and nutritious, and its seed pods or
punches very luxuriant. 1t can be
cut for hay at the same time with
clover, and therefore it does well, at
first, to SOW the two kinds of seed
together, though the orchard grass
is the more enduring. Meadow oats,
grass and clover are often mixed
with orchard grass seed for sowing
half or one bushel per acre Of the
latter. But if care is observed, and
enough of the latter-say two bush
els per acre-is sown, the tendency
of orchard grass to 'clump is great
" obviated and if it be frequently
mown, the roots tiller out and cover
the ground similarly to timothy or
blue grass. When cut for hay, the
moving should be done before the
seed is formed; and it is fine for
pasture at any stage Of its growth.
| 1t is surprising, we think, that
Western farmers do not give more
attention to the cultivation of this
valuable grass. A set is easily OBJ
tanned by proper preparation Of the
ground, and all kinds of stock are
fond of it. The late Judge Buel, of
New York, famous farmer in his
dav. said of it 81 should prefer it
to almost every other grass; the
COWS are very fond Of it. It is one
of the most enduring grasses we
have. It's good properties consist in
| It's early growth, its resistance Of
drouth; /; but all agree that it should
be closely cropped. Sheep pass
over every other grass to feed upon
| it. IF suffered to grow long without
being cropped, it becomes coarse
and harsh" Col. Powell, late emil
nent farmer of Pennsylvania, after
growing it ten years, declares it pro-
duces more pasturage than any
othe grass he has seen in America.
It is also said that Judge Peters, Of
the same State, a very eminent Rgri-
culturist, preferred it to all other
grasses. Mr.. Sanders, Of Kentucky,
a well known cattle breeder and
farmer in the midst of the blue
grass region, said of it ''My expert
enee has induced me to rely mainly
on orchard grass and red clo-
yer; indeed, I now SOW no other
grass seed. These grasses, mixed,
make the best hay Of all the grasses
for this climate (Kentucky). 1t is nu-
tritious, and well adapted as food
/ for stock. It is ready for grazing
| in the spring ten or twelve days
sooner than any other that affords a
! full bite. When grazed down and
the stock turned of, it will be ready
| for regrazing in less than half the
time required for Kentucky blue
grass. 1t stands a severe drouth
better than any other grass, keeping
green and growing when other sorts
are dried up. In summer it will
grow more in a day than blue grass
will in a week. The best preventive
from growing in tussOcks, is a good
preparation Of the ground, and sufh-
cheney of seed uniformly sOwn.
All that need be added to the
above is a word in regard to its fac
ulty of renovating worn land, and
of keeping up the fertility Of land al
ready fertile, which is nearly equal
to that of Red Clover. The best
time to SOW is during February and
and the first half of March.
CLODHOPPER.
Greenlawn, Feb. 23d, 1881.