The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1884-04-17
Seeding to Grass Alone.


In seeding down to grass by Itself
there are several advantages. Bv early
sowing the seed takes much better
than in any oeheF way, and the growth
is more rapid, SO that crop of hay
can often be taken the same year. The
soil Is in better condition for the Sowing
than at any other time of the year, and
the grass takes so firm hold upon the
sol that dry weather does it no injury.
When the grass is sown with grain it
IS very weak at that time, and n few
dry days after the shelter of the grain
is lost will totally ruin it. This fire.
quently happens, and is the reason why
SO many grass-seedings with grain fail.
The ground should be as well plowed
as for grain crop, and then thorough-
Iy narrowed until it is perfectly mellow
and tine, and yet compactly settled
and made firm by the harrow teeth. II
the seed is then sOwn it will fail into
the harrow marks, and grow up in
rows with spaces between them, which
is Objectionable for several reasons.
To avoid this the harrow should be fol-
lowed by a brush harrow or a smooth
ing plank to level the. harrs-w marks
and get smooth, fine surface. The
seed may then he sown.
In sowing the seed great care should
be used to get an even seeding. Every
turn should be OverlapPed a little tC
avoid bare strips, and it is easy to dc
this by observing the marks of the feet
at the previous sowing, and keeping the
next track even and parallel with this.
Only One-half of the seed should be
sOwn one way up and down the field.
The other half should be sown across
the first sowing and with equal care,
and then one NAV be reasonably sure
that the ground is evenly Covered. In
sowing light seed the early morning,
when the air is usually stiff. should be
chosen for the work. Orchard-grass,
bluegrass and red-tOp should be thus
sown. Timothy and clover being heay-
Ter may be sown at any time, unless q
strong wind is blowing, in which case
the work should be stopped. A good
sOwer may do the work well, even in 3
wind, by throwing the seed low down
and by going across the wind, so that
the seed is always carried in the same
direction and with the wind.
After the seed is sown it should be
covered at once. Every days work in
brush narrowing should be followed the
next day with the sowing, and no more
should be sown than can be covered il
the next day. 1t is better still to have
the covering done by a second man di
rectly after the sower. The covering
should be done by light brush harrow
made as follows: Two round poles. Of
light planks, and a quantity of Small
brush five feet long should be procured
One pole or plank is lad upon the
ground, and the brush is laid evenly anc
smoothly upon the pole; the other pole
is laid over the first one, and the two
are fastened tightly together with wires
or bolts screwed up closely with nuts
or light chain may be wound around
the poles and drawn tight with snAl
binder so as to hold the brush Fol
stumpy' ground the brush may bt
| spread like fan and two short poles
used, and a third one is laid across neal
| the ends of the brush and fastened by
winding some of the brush around it.
The covering should be done careful
| ly, as it is important to finish the worl
| quite as well as it has been begun
| Grass-seed thus sowp will rarely eve
! miss, and there will be less complain
| of poor soil, which is mostly an excus,
| for poor work. A farmer who spend
three dollars an acre for seed SHOULD
certainly take great care that tn,
money is not lost through imperfec
preparation of the ground and doc
work in sowing and covering the seed
| N T. SIM.