Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-06-07

IL flOurished upon low meadows 10 did not
thrive on the upland. IL Is. however,
worthy tho attention of the farmer who
has a very considerable amount Of low
river meadow.
Red top Is one Of the best grasses cul-
tivsted. Ii may yield somewhat more
beautifully on damp soils than OH dry
upland, yet il will thrive in any soil, as we
meet with 1t by the road side, ln every old
pasture and upon every hill side. 1t is
emphatically permanent grass, with
fibTous roots which completely invest the
soil, aiIording thick. rich sod. This is
an Indispensable grass with me, and enters
into tho seeding Of every field of whatever
variety OF sOil-clay, loan or sand. l
verify believe a sandy plain Or knoll can
be tulted over more thoroughly with red
top than with any other grass with which
am acquainted; and withal it is a very
nutritious grass and makes most excellent
stock hay. Its use should become a fixed
fact with every farmer.
Of timothy and rod clover l need not
speak here Their good qualities ale well
known, and so they are generally cult
waited. sometimes fear, however, that
the real worth of red clover is not fully
appreciated. 1t may be somewhat coarse
in texture, and require some extra labor
and attention IN curing il for the NOW
but no other plant grown for hay serves
so good purpose in renovatng the soil
AS this same red clover Its long roots
90 down into the subsoil for the nitrates
SO necessary for plant gre with, while the
luXuriant foliage absOrbs and appropriates
so much from tho atmosphere to its own
growth. tits nitrogen producing rather
than nitrogen consuming plant, and can
he grown upon soils deficient in this ele-
ment of plant food TO great advantage.
A number of trials wero made with
regard to the amount of seed per acre to
insure maximum crop. These varied in
amount from forty pounds of timothy
alone to seven pounds each of timothy,
red clover and red top mixed After
several similar trials, the following
amount was fixed upon as sufficient for
practical purposes: Ten pounds of timo-
Thy, ten pounds of red clover and seven
pounds of red top. This is double the
amount necessary, provided the seed is
fresh and reliable, to furnish as many
pants as can grow on an acre of ground.
But it 50 frequently happens. either from
admixture of old seed or that which is
immature, that not more than one.half
of all the kernels sown ever terminate and
grow; therefore, it is the part of wisdom
to use very liberal amount of seed
rather than suffer loss for the want of it.
Upon land heavily MANFRED with I'M
fermented manure n less amount of seed
| than that named in the rule would answer
all purposes. But upon land in the ordi-
nary state of cultivation not much less
can be used with good degree Of certain.
~ of success.
Mixed seeding invariably gives the best
results. 1t will be found, however, by all
who pursue this matter, that three or four
kinds OF all the great varieties of grasses
! which have been introduced for cultiva-
ton are sufficient for general use. The
three before named varieties are rs well
suited to each other for occupying tho soil
ogethcr, everything considered, as can
be selected from the long list of cultivated
grasses.
But to return 10 our seeding down; The
seed is usually sown with grain in the
spring-the timothy and clover mixed,
and the red top separately.
Let me say here, that have not expe-
rlenced that difficulty of which some
speak, in sowing the timothy and clover
together for the reason of the difference in
the specific gravity of the two. Without
doubt there is, theoretically, some objec
lion to this practice, but experience shows
it to be OF little weight.
After the seed has been sown light
roller is run over the field, in preference
TO the harrow, or bush so much in use
among farmers, except upon wet, compact
soils. The bush as il is too frequently
drawn ridges and burrows the land, and is
he real cause oflentimes of much com
plant about poor seed and their catch
tie VIII will critically observe tho effect
81 the bush upon Il piece of mellow land
will come to entertain tho same opinion
respecting its use that | have exp essed.
ma adopt the use OF the roller, OF drag
Hhich Is preferable, perhaps, as it does no.
I,.,un tho 7'7rf,oo ',n1r lntinu and oovDr@
the seed as efectuaIly.
The practice OF pasturing the meadows
Is, 10 say the least, a ruinOus one. During
the dry weather which usually continues
after haying the grass has struggle to
maintain itself, and the constant cropping
Of the leaves as thew start into growth de-
p'ives it OF the needed shade which they
would have afforded. The recuppratvr
power is overtaxcd and only weak
growth Can be made, which greatly
impairs the crop of the succeeding year
know two fields alike in every parlic-
u,r as relating to soil, location, etc which
nave been under very nearly the same
-l-lem Of cultivation for twenty years.
separated by division fence. they are
N appearance at the present time widely
different, and arc the subject of notice 10
even the careless Of server. Upon one TIE
COWS or sheep seldom Craze; the othor is
pasturcd spring and fall. Tho one yields
Il remuncrativc crop, while the other lily
pays for the labor bestowed in caring for
II Gun there be any other reason for the
tf'rence in the product of these two
iieldsp Wherein does it consisto not in
sol, not in location, rot In different syS-
Ten Of cultivation, but simply in pasiurng
IA not pasturing.
iie who pastures his meadows Can make
but little progress in the way OF increasing
his hay crop 1t slould never be prSctlscd
Xrept in the EXTREMIST cases. There is
20 argument that can be adduced to sup
pc the practice.
With desire TO increase the hay crop
faster than could be done by the usual
routine Of farming q field that did not yield
more than five hundred pounds OF hay per
acre was pIowed in the fall, and in the
spring dressed with four hundred pounds
OF commercial fertilizer per acre and laid
down to grass 1t has produced three
remunerativc crops OF hay with the aid OF
dressing of land plaster. a further tria
with different fertilizers and at less cost
was made with satisfactory results. Sc
lecting piece of land that had been one
year in grass, it was laid off into plats OF
rs of an acre each, with space of four
feet between them. Upon one plat the
muriate of potash was sown ut the rate OF
200 pounds per acre; on another plat sol
uble guano was sown at the rate of 200
POUNDS per acre; on still another 200 lbs.
of ground bone and nine bushels of hard
wood ashes mixed per acre, was sown
A critical estimate was made of the cost oil
fsrtilizing and the product of each pat and
tho results compared, showing that the
mr. foe hnpoEf oh