The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-09-10
Fall Seeding Of Grass Lands.

New England farmers, as rule, are
practicing more and more the seeding
of land to grass during the fall of the
year. Advocates for this plan claim
for fall seeding that the grass is not so
liable to be. troubled with weeds; the
cold weather incites vigorous growth
and brings the fields in good condition
to withstand the winters, and it admits
of the removal of a crop the first year.
Cultivatcrs at the North who do not
favor spring sowing seed down their
lands from August until about the
middle of September, while at the
South, the seeding of grass lands is de-
layed one month and later.
At whatever season grass seed is
sown, the extremes of very light seed
ing, which produces, large, coarse
stalks, and very heavy seeding, that
makes exceedingly fine ones, are to be
avoided. The quantity of seed per
acre depends upon the yarities of grass
es to be grown, and the purpose for
which these are designed. Timothy,
which stands at the head of grasses in
its nutritive qualities, requires to be
sown with liberal hand in order to Sc
cure a good stand. The quantity of
seed sown in various sections differs,
but safe rule is three gallons of clean
seed if sown alone or twelve pounds if
mixed, to the acre. Sow timothy early
enough to admit of the seed getting a
good start before the winter sets in.
Red-top, another valuable meadow
grass, when sown alone, requires about
one bushel of seed per acre, as the seed
is usually sown in the chat.
Pastures call for variety of grasses
and these ought to be selected with a
view to being cropped throughout
long season. In word, it is necessary
to SOW grasses which ripen in success
sion i'll order to furnish stock with con-
tinuous grazing of a tender, succulent
character. The varieties should also
be adapted to the soil. A mixture fire.
quently recommended for permanent
pasture by cultivators who have tried
it consists of meadow fox tail, two
pounds; white clover, five pounds; Or
chard grass, six pounds, and of red
clover, rough stocked meadow grass,
rye-grass, timothy, bluegrass, meadow
fescue and red-top, four pounds each.
For the South, where winter pasture is
the object, the following has given
good results: One bushel each of
meadow oat-grass, orchard grass and
wild rye-grass, and four quarts each of
bluegrass, red clover and white clover.
To gain best results in meadow,
grasses should be associated that
blossom about the same time. Pure
meadow grasses may be defined as
those with tuberous roots, which
store up in bulbs one year the
material of growth for the next and
which require q certain time for the
maturing of the bulbs. Timothy stands
as the representative type of this class
of grasses. Among early grasses suited
to meadows are orchard grass, Ken
lucky bluegrass, meadow fescue, and
tall oat-grass. Timothy red-top, and
Rhode Island bent-gr are numbered
with late kinds.
Clover plays an important part in
both meadows and pastures. A con-
siderable proportion of the clover sown,
therefore is mixed with other grasses.
When thus associated in moving lots
it must be mixed with varieties that
are ready to cut at the same time.
Meadow fescue, perennial rye-grass,
Kentucky bluegrass and Italian rye
grass blossom simultaneously with
clover.
Clover makes an eXcellant crop when
sown alone, especially on light sandy
soil; still, the practice of seeding clover
with grain crop continues to be a
very common one in many sections. A
considerable amount of clover is sown
during the late summer and autumn,
although the majority of farmers hold
to the opinion that the early spring is
the better time for seeding tn Y.
World