News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-05
MANAGING MEADOWS.
HOW POOR GRASS LAND MAY
BE IMPROVED.
Narrowing and Rolling Particularly
Recommended.

HOW POOR GRASS LAND MAI
BE IMPROVED.
narrowing and Rolling Particularly
Recommended.
There is much of our grass land that
does not pay, yet its Improvement
would be easy and comparatively mex
pensive. and it is great loss if it is not
secured. But farmers have been dis
couraged by unsuccessful efforts in this
direction. The custom was to scatter
little seed over the field and SO leave 1t.
Now if the soil had not strength to sup
port the one crop how could it be ex-
pected to carry the two? Then it has
been tried to harrow the meadow, SOW
the seed ard roll. This proved to be
better, but still not satisfactory. Our
best farmers do this, with the import
ant difference of adding manure
spread either in fall or winter or early
spring, best in the fall. The surface
soil will then have received the wash
up fresh soil; this mixed with the ma
nure, which should be fine, there will be
a bed for the seed. The manure should
be clean; if it is old it will be so. Such
course never fails if there is sufficient
enrichment, and the work can be done
early so as to get some of the winter
moisture in case there should be an
early drouth.
I have mentioned narrowing. Some
object to this-which is another error.
All crops raised by the farmer are bene-
flied by cultivation. Narrowing is one
of the most successful modes of tillage,
giving the air chance and stimulating
the plant. Unless a meadow is as good,
or almost as good, as it can be, the
harrow will improve it; it will be cul-
tivating the grass. Yet there are those
who are Mortified at the thought of
tearing up the sod," as I have fire.
quently heard it expressed. This tear
ing up, however, always proves an ad-
vantage, twice passing over being better
in general than once. Harrow and
cross-harrow and then roll. After that,
some concentrated fertilizer may be ap-
Piled, or a light coat Of finely commin-
uted manure from the barn or compost
heap, which of course is to be evenly
spread. This will be guard in some
measure against drouth, and being old
manure will be taken up at once as fast
as the plant can appropriate it.
Sometimes, where meadow is badly
cut, the land is plowed, yet this does
not always give satisfaction. The rea-
son is very evident; there is lack of
fertility. It is but the common fault
an attempt to do without manure or as
little as possible, when it should be the
object to see how much can be used.
To pillow meadow deep for reseeding,
in our clay or drift soil, is to spoil it.
In land porous or leachy it will some
times succeed, that is, to grow a moder-
ate crop. But in our cold, compact
clays, it will not do. Sometimes an i'm
provement is made by blowing very
lightly, say two and two and halt
inches. Thus mellow seedbed is m re
apt to be obtained. But it is pity in
such case to go to the trouble of prepar-
ing the land and incur the expense OF
seed without manure, the very thing
that is needed. 1t does not need much;
only let it be of good quality, fine, and
most of all, evenly spread. In Jumps
or spots there will be unevenness, and
much of the strength will be lost.
Neglect to use the roller on meadows
in spring will result in loss amounting
to several times the cost of roller and
labor. The benefit of rolling has long
been known and it is almost equally
beneficial to pastures, only the smooth
ness of surface is not here req Tired as
in the other case, where the mower is |
The effect of frost upon
grass lands is to loosen the soil, which,
to a certain extent, is a benefit but |
beyond this it is hurtful, as it admits too |
much air, especially if an early drouth
and severe winds should occur. Besides,
IL eohho SessSoho uuoh VI tAo SiSSo 10
started from its place, and some lifted
out. This is more the case with clover,
and almost always on wet soil or land
net sufficiently drained, and there is
much of the latter. Pass the roller
over this and it will give compaetness
to the soil and fix the plants in it. But
it is to be done at the right time when
the land is neither too wet nor too dry
Just so that it will bear the horses
and avoid the mud, smoothing at the
same time the land. The time is to be
yet it must not be done so
early that subsequent frosts will require
re-rolling. - Weekly Tribune.