The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1881-03-25

i
be bush narrowed and then rolled,
and SO left. Sow, ii possible, just be
fore rain, as If grass seeds are sown in
land just damp enough to germinate
them and drought follows they will
be destroyed. It is important that
they should not be deeply covered;
SO this consideration will be seen to
have great weight.
a. The next mater which will con
Germ us is the quantity or weight OF
seed which an acre requires.
Ihave always sown 2 bushels OF
grass seeds and 10 pounds of clover
to the acre, and have been successful
with this, but ] have much demnred
at this quantity being essential as,
considering the small size of the seeds
il h clear that good plant would be
secured, were only ONE peck per acre
actually to grow and become estab-
lished. But in light grass seeds 50
many seeds appear without kernel
that experience has proved that mach
less than 40 bounds is likely to fail
in securing a good plant. Then even
our most careful seeding is whole
sale, rough and careless If we consid-
er what would be the treatment OF
small seeds grown for FLOWERS or
vegetables. Take lettuce seed, which
reqnires sifted earth, careful pressure
after sowing, and shade, or take To-
bella, which requires shallow pans of
|sifted soil and glass covering to pre-
vent too speady evaporation: now
some of our grass seeds and ciOyers
are as small aud delicate as the seeds
of lettuce and lobelia and yet see the
different treatment the get.
The point l ain aiming to clear to
YOU is this; that an experiment made
carefully on small sample may show
| so per cent. of the seed terminates;
nevertheless if you carry out the OBJ.
vious inference by lessening the seed
sown disappointment will follow.
Therefore studying economy as far
as l can, am still of che opinion
that 80 pounds weigl of good, clean
grass seeds and pounds of clover is
the minimum quantity which shonld
be trusted to form permanent pas
ture. The reason that go even as
: low as this is, that in country new
Ito cultivated grasses, more vlgor is
:, Inherent in the soil than in a country
!, which, like England, has been cult.
waited for many hundred years. Its
well known fact that in New Zea-
land our clovers have oyerrun the
land with great speed, and native
grasses have been extirpated by Their
, vigorous growth.
| would point ont that this incrcas
; ed vigor is shown equally where nox.
ious plants and animals are brought
!, into new country. Large parts OF
I. Australia are rendered useless by the
thistle, little seed of which was in
troduced by an early Scotch settler
!, ,twho desired his national emblem to
: be at his door. In New Zealand The
foolish introduction of the English
,, wild rabbit has destroyed the value
of many hundred thousand acres ol
valuable sheep grazing lands. Great
! care is therefore taken in introducing
, new plants or animals from other
countries.
v.
We will presume that success has
followed our efforts and that in the
spring our fall sown seeds show ful
and healthy plant; now on the treat
ment they receive depends theil
firm establishment in the soil. First
when dry on the tops they should be
carefully rolled with light roll ir
April or May. They should be
; mown early, IN order that any weeds
Towering should be cut off before
seeding time, as most of any weeds
are annual, we shall by this means
settle all that come up. If the
growth admit of it, second moving
: may be taken in the late summer, at
J ter which it may be- pastured with
young stock up to year old, hut
neither sheep nor heavy stock must
: be turned upon it that year. Sheer
!, will eat out the crown Of the fnel
2 grasses and heavy cattle will destroy
with their feet. When the pasture
> gets wet and sodden in the winter
take off all stock and leave it to resi-
for that year.
II Well rotted stable manure will
amply repay the trouble Of cartino
on to our pasture ifdone dry and any
: nitrogenous manures, as sulphate ot
! ammonia or nitrate soda will i'm
prove it if applied as top dressing
of one cwt. to the acre.
For established pastures, bones dis
: solved in sulphuric acid, or even
bones broken small and sown on the
surface TO decay are most admirable
:, manures.
Too many trees and too much grub
interferes with the enrichment of land
laid down to permanent pasture AZ
the manure is apt to be left under
them to the impoverishmeut of the
, rest of the land.
Some are required for shelter, but
not very many.
!. The foregoing hints are the results
of many years practical farming and
? study, of causes and success of failue
and / trust that they will be of ser
Q vice to you in the farming pursuits
in which your efforts will be, ] inag-
e inc, directed, as mine have been and
!, will be towards making good re-
7 turn from our business.
: WHAT AIl0PATHs SAY.