The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-11-25
Improvement Of Meadows.

improvement Of Meadows.
A statement is going the rounds OF
the press that the hay crop OF the
United States amounts in annual value
to over $500, 100000, and that nay;
Gather than cotton. is king. dranteo
that the statement is true, are all efforts
in further improvement OF our grass
lands to stop here, or are we TO make
still farther Improvement. and yet pos
sibly double this exhibit. and so cheaper
hav that # shall still farther take the
place of grains as food Tor Stock. anu
leave a vet larger margin OF gram 10
he sold or consumed in the making OF
flesh foods for our rapidly extending
marketsp II is an evident fact, here in
Ohio, where grain-raising had suddenly
attained prominence, that. although tne
meadows have been largely trenched
upon to afford pillow lands. the hay crop
is actually yearly increasing, and as q
matter of fact. some of the great agen-
cies for improvement, except rotation
of crops, to produce grass. have been
put into practice, leaving drainage and
other important accessories to Do
brought in later.
Improvement in our grass lands must'
il permanent, commence at the very
foundation fining the SOIL
liberal and thorough seeding, and II TO
be retained in grass, seasonable top
dressing. So far as reports 60 to SHOW
drainage is the important step to take
in securing great grass crops, the most
valid reason for this being that nature
is quite profuse in bestowing ammonia
and the manurial properties by means
of rain and air, and if the former in its
fall, passes over the ground to its dis
charge, the soil gets only homeopathic
dose, hut if this rainfall is drawn into
the soil, and thus discharged. the soil
must retain this element. Our most
desirable grasses are not marine plants,
and standing water is deadly enemy
to the life of tame grass roots, ana moi
only does drainage meet the end IN
view, but also attains another obJec'
scarcely less important-the eradica
ton of wild grasses that will appear on
moist land. Not only does drainage
assist in these mentioned ways, but the
sooner the soil is freed from surplus
water in the spring, the sooner it re-
spends to the warming rays OF the sur
with quickened vegetation. that almost
sure precursor of an abundant hay crop
The preparation of land for the crops
and the care bestowed upon them. viii
tell very largely in increased hay crop!
that are to follow. While not an advo
cate of deep blowing, yet in some way
the soil should be broken below the FUR
row, to give the clover and other grass
crops a chance to draw upon the ele
ments usually stored abundantly in thu
deep, raw soils. While this cultivation
is going on, care must be taken to pre-
vent the weeds from taking possession
even in part, for weeds will crowd GU
grass, and the support stolen by weet
stalk would amply sustain q valuable
bunch of grass. Not only is the pres
ence of weeds a sign of thin grass, 6u
it has its effect in destroying the valu
of the hay. and, if the truth was known
of the vast amount of hay estimates
above a very considerable amour
would be found weeds rated at $40 pc
tor. The yield of grass is quite largel
dependent upon the character OF tn
seed sown, and if economy is practice
in the amount of seed, or inferio
kinds sown because they are ''cheap,
the real purpose of seeding will b
thwarted in part. Whether Orchar
grass, red top, clover, timothy, or les
well known varieties are sOwn, sow tn
best seed that can be purchased; knov
that it is free from impurities and
possessed of vitality. and sow the fu
measure that experience teaches IS n
CURED.
Year by year the damage by pasturin
meadows is more apparent. The meat
ow should be exclusively a place to CT
hay, and not for grazing. Cut the at
ermath. and use it for soiling the COW
in the fall. The meadows are not the
damaged; the feed cut and fed in til
barn or yards goes twice as far. an
nature is left to produce q mulch Il
winter protection. How long mea'
ow shall remain in grass is matte
that individual experience and Il
changing condition of things must d
termine. A meadow in my mind HI
been in grass nearly fifty years. Gait
or stock are never allowed to run upC
it; nor in that time was it ever plowe
or received load of fertilizer. Eve
other fall it is smartly dragged with
sharp harrow, and little mixed gra
seed sown. and year after year its re
ord is two tons of hay per acre, besid
the aftermath. With other lands, rot
ton of crops and liberal fertilizati'
would be required. or frequent dres
ings of manure. The general law tn
governs is to put the land intended +
grass into the best possible conditio
and when once in grass, ''feed 70
land before it is hungry. rest it beto
worn, and weed it before foul. &c
Country Gentleman.