Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1882-09-06
aeRICulTURE.

VARIETY IN HAY.-We should not be
content with clover and timothy for hay to
the exclusion of other good grasses II
grass Is desIred for pasturage variety is
sought in the native growth OF the mead
ows, but when hay is to be cut and cured
for winter We should use the same judg-
inent in growing IT as in pasturing. If II
Is desirable to have a mixed pas'urage dur
ing a time, when animals are enabled to
vary their diet, il Is even more so during
the cnld season, AID there is no necessity
for restricting our hay to single kind SIM
ply because sufficiency of it can be OBJ
tanned without resort TO other grasses. That
red clover cannot be excelled as fodder is
an undanlable fact, but clover is much bet
ter for feeding to cattle than TO horses, and
even a mixture Of timothy does not help
the case, as the two do not ripen together.
Orchard grass, which comes into blossom
with clover, will grow on light dry SOILS,
and has the merit of furnishing successive
cuttings. 1t is not recommended here TO
discard timothy, for 1t Is too valuable, but
why should farmers deny themselves the
advantage of sowing q more suitable grass
with their clover? Orchard grass Is more
permanent grass than timothy; continues
to give two crops each year for several
seasons, and grows early, being among the
first Of our crops TO start of in the spring,
which makes If valuable for early pastur-
age. On good. rlch land, especially II 1t
is little moist, crop of red top or herds
grass would add TO the variety Of the nay
crop. This grass, by its running roots,
soon forms a thick sod, and Is permanent.
Blue grass Is best adapted to limestone
soils. II should not be grazed close, but
should be- left for eating by stock at late
periods. Hungarian grass affords at least
three cuttings during the season, and as 1t
grows 30 quickly, and on the thinnest soils
there is no excuse for dispensing with it.
All grasses do better with liberal supply
of manure, but 1t is just as easy to grow
crop of mixed hay as il Is to grow crop
of single kind. There are grasses that
thrive on rich land, dry sandy land, damp
land and medium land, and if they cannot
be grown together in one field, they can be
sown in different localities and mixed in
the cutting box. 1t is the possession OF
mixed hay that enables the farmer to feed
for the best results, for the nutritious guam
titles OF hay depend more upon its combi-
nation OF matter than on the amount OF a
single element. II hay is deficient in the
phosphstes or nitrogen, the deficiency must
be supplied from other sources, and in no
way can the most satisfactory results be
obtained SO well as from variety Of food.
1t ID possible that no hay is supplied with
all that an animal needs, and grain is fed
for that reason; but we are enabled to use
lees grain when the hay consists of several
kinds Animals are induced TO eat with
ksener relish when given variety, and
their health and general condition are pro-
NOTED thereby. Again, it must not be
overlc oked that much larger average crops
can be obtained from variety, as the
danger from drought Is somewhat lessened
all grasses not beng affected alike.