Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-04-24
Flowing and Re:Seeding Pastures.

Flowing and Re:Seeding Pastures.
That our pastures generally are i'm
poverished and need renovating is adj
United by all. As to what is the best
method of attaining the desired I'M
prosement is not so evident. Flowing
and re-seeding is the method often
recommended and is frequently prac-
ticed. The result. however. is not al
ways salts actory. 1t is found that the
sod Of re-seeded pastures does not bear
the tramp.ng of catt e nor hold out to
produ good growth of grass so well
as an old sod kept in good condition: II
a pasture is covered with good sod. il
would not be wise to plow it. A good
pasture sod usually contains great
variety of nutritious gras es. Usually
the more kinds OF grasses there are the
more plants there will he TO the square
foot and the more feed viii be produced
Some interesting invest cations have
been made in this direction. A square
loot o. sod, taken from q rich natural
pasture which was capable of fatteni no
one large OK and three sheep to the
acre. was found to contain LOCO plants,
consisting Of $40 natural grasses and sc
clover and other plants. embracing 90
dist net species. An old pasture of n
damp. moist and messy surface, coli
tanned in a square foot of sod ga plants
OF distinct speces. A good pasture
laid down two years to rye-grass and
white clover contained. to the square
loot. 470 plants consist no of two spe-
cies. Il viii te seen iiiat where only
two kinds of seed were used in seeding
there We're only 40 plants to The square
DOT, while the rich old pasture land on
which were found % distinct species
contained 1000 plants. The fact that
the more kinds Of grass there are grow
ing in the soil The more plants there
will be to The square foot, and conse-
quently the more and better feed, Ell
fore the Importance OF us NC large
variety of seed in seeding land for
pasture.
In seeding for Il pasture it is import
ant t. have such 4 mixture Of grasses
As will afford succe sion Ut good
grasses maturing a different periods.
Some grasses start earl Y in the spring.
and are of little value later en-. Others
are at their lest late in the season. BY
combining tie different kinds, good
pasturage can be secured throughout
the season. For this purpose Mr..
Charles l.. Flint, in his Grasses and
lowing combination for seeding permit
nent pasture:
Meadow Eoxtail, lowering May and June. lbs
Orchard Grass, 6 lbs
Sweet-scea,ea Vernol. s. April and May. 1 Id
Meadow Eescuc, May and June, = lbs
ReurUp. June and July, : lbs
kentucky Blue Grass. g May and june, lbs
Perennial Rye Grass, :" June 6 lbs
Timothy, June ard July, 3 lbs
ughs}aiked Meadw" June and July. lbs
Perennial C!O,e a. June and July, lbs
White Glover, MAJ to Sept. ) lbs |
This mixture, making total of forty
pounds to the acre, would afford about
|, 100 seeds to the square foot. or enough
% seed the soil as wei as the rich Old |
pasture LAM re.erred to above.
A pasture, after it has been pIowed |
md re-seeded. must be treated moro
carefully than an cd pasture. The
'attle should not be turn upon it in
he sprn until the ground has become
veil dried OIL, so that the seed will not |
'e injured by tramping. nor until the
,ras5 has got q got a good start. 1t
must not lie fed closely during the dry
wealth r o. simmer. lest the grass roots
'e killed By the hot rays of the sun, and
must not Ee fed late in tic autumn,
est the 70 It's he left too much exposed
o the frosts OF winter
As soon as the grass begins to fail,
op-dres ing sLo Id lie applied to keep
p its productiysre>s. 1t is found,
lso. that when newly cleared land is
ceded to grass without blowing, the
rass-rOOtS seem to cling tenaciOusly to
he scurf. and live for many wears.
OPP dressing newly-seeded pastures
'ill assist in forming natural scurf,
nd promote the Tor nation OF dcsir-
bic sod.
Flowing pastures should not be prac-
ced unless it is imperatieely called for.
{ the grass had died out, or the sol is
lfested with brakes and weeds to such
n extent that blowing is necessary to
Xterminate them, then it is advisable.
mt it should be regarded asa necessary
WI, or the best OF two evils. Land !
hlch has never been plowed. provided
is well covered with good sod,
lakes the best and richest pasturage.
lany pastures which afford only a
mited quantity of feed, by better treat
tent might be greatly improved. By
eding them less during the dry. hot
eather, the roots would be protected
that in a few years the growth would !
, greatly increased BY top-dressing
18th barnyard manure, lone fertilizers,
shes or other substances, many of the
,sture lands might be i'm proved so as
produce two or three times as much
ed as at present. a pasture restored
; tOp-dresSing and by avoiding graz
@ too closely VIII be n much better {
'ndition than if it had been plowed l
I'd reseeded. Old pastures in {
'od condition produce a better
lality of milk than those that
I'VE been re seeded. and animals
i'll fatten on them better. Some
nerican farmers seem to entertain the
ca that grass lands. in order to pro-
Ice grass to the best advantage, re- :,
ire TO be plowed and re-seeded every q.
W years. This is q great mistake. :
lera are excellent pasture lands in =
otlard and Wales which are known /
have been past1red without blowing .
: more than taousand years. The :
st pastures in England are those J.
lich have not been plowed for CEN :,
ries, and their owners will not allow !.
er tenants to pillow them. Rey- .
Ids, in a. Y. E.ranainer y
| q
Peter Henderson ono of tho host | +.