Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-09-13
AGRICULTURE.

SAVING AND SOWING CLOVER SEED.
In securing clover seed it is best to
cut il as soon as the heads becomes
brown, some time in September. If cut
later the heavy deWs and reduced heat
Of tbs sun will cause dampness and the
bull to cling very tightly to the heads.
When cut, it is recommended TO be at
once put under cover to secure dryness; /;
some put in stacks or cover with straw.
Ii the ground is dry and the sun is hot,
IL may be hauled in the same day it is
cut. Some far ners cut it and stir it in
windrows the same rs making hay; but
this waste of seed, as the stirring rat
ties eff the Tipsst and best of the seed.
In moving il to the barn, it can be stor
ed on the barn floor until ready to thresh.
II shore is ne hullsr in the neighborhood,
enough can be tbreshed out for ones
ovn sowing; and, as it will not be very
clean, it should be sown in February OF
earlier, so that the hulls and seed may
settle in the ground and germinate as
seon as the soil is warm enough, giving
it good start, which is almost certain
to produce good crop.
CURING HAY.
Prof. Storer has been making some
most psinstaking tests in regard to the
curing of hay with special reference as
to whether the ferment or heating in
the NOW did dstract from its food value.
This principal gas thrown of was car
bonic acid gas, with only slight traces
of hydrogen. In every one of the tests,
conducted AS might be suggested, the
hay would heat, showing that in hay
olo haf hax
chemical action and certain of these are
liberated. He found that while one
kind Of elements were destroyed other
new enes were evolved, so that the gain
and loss was about balanced. His view
is that IL is always best to bunch up"
hay as soon as it is wilted and allow il
to sweat" He alse fuond that hay by
leng storage parted with its nitrogen
to large per cent, and he reversss the
old maxim that new hay is bad for ami
mails, for be finds that old hay is not al
way good hay.
SOWING GRASS SEED.
With an increase of acreage of our
grain crops, comes demand for the
best manner of seeding TO grass aud clio
yer, for il is now AN accepted rule that
SOOu ClpHo W SI ISs EiiilSb piCCSdO Sbcl
growth. of grain The Country Gentle
man says HyuA this subject: "Grass-seed
Of any kind, if hardy enough te endure
winter, may 6e sOwn early ths autumn,
the earlier the better, provided the soil
and weather are moist enough. Timu-
thy and orchard grass would do, but
clover would be likely to be winter-kill-
ed. The amount of the crop depends
greatly Oh the soil and management. Ii
the Soil Is clean. well pulverlzed, and the
surface itch 10y atop DRESSING with fine
MANURE, Or if il has been made fertile
with previous crops, aud ii the seed is
well brushed or rolled in 50 as TO ger
inmate at once, there would doubtless
be fair crop by the latter part OF } unt,
or half or twS-thlIdS Of \ full amount.
If, on the contrary ,ths soil is hard, Seedy
and BADLY cultivated, the seed not pre-
pals,i 10 2erminaLe freely, the expert
mrnJ you'd pruse failure. Thick
ses,iIng (say bali "a bushel Of timothy
per arrs, or three bushels of orchard
grass, "sil covered with rich, mellow
sol. would be likely to afford salisfac- |
tory AID AeaYy crop But light seed |
ing ou the best ground would do better
than heavy seeding on pavement. |
In Recommending the seed ito be well
covered" We do not mean so deep AZ to |
prevent growth, as timothy will not |
germinate when over an inch in depth |
in compact soil, and orchard grass |
should not be much deeper.
FAIRS.
1t is hoped that the fair has passed |
beyond the stage of mere show, and |
that merit is TO be the influence that
shall award the red or blue ribbons
TIE real use Of the fair is not to place
before the public gaze and The commit
tees the extreme possibilities of stock
breeding, such as cannot be attained by
the farmer, and only occasionally by the
breeder. and, therefore. does not repre-
sent the wants of the average farmer
but is to bring together such stock o
the various kinds as shall best be adapt