Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-03-05
GRASS.
The Proper Preparation of Land For
Grass.

The Proper Preparation of Land For
Grass.
Where land is intended to be seeded
down, whether in connection with a
grain crop or without, it should receive
extra attention in order to ia
vor the increased demand of the double
crop of the grain and the forage plant.
or the latter if sown alone so as to Sc
cure not only a good catch and good
start, but to continue the growth and
sustain the plant during the drought
which seldom fails to occur. In this
way a fair to good crop is realized the
same season II grown without an ac-
companying grain crop, with the pros
pect of an increased yield the following
season, to be further kept up with ma
nure, which, if properly applied, will
suffer no loss on grass lands, the net
work of roots which forms the sod APP
propriating all, time in such case being
allowed for this. Further, good cover
of grass will prevent the RAYS of the
access to the ground. and will hold the
dew and the moisture of rain
longer. The main loss of moisture is
the soil, and the greater the quantity
the better. as it is measure of the
growth of the crop. This measure APP
plies to the roots of the plant as well,
which penetrate deeply if favored by
culture. and this culture. deep and mel
low, is necessary, when it is considered
what an amount of water grass takes
from the soil, the process going on dur
ing the entire season. from early spring
TIL late fall. the grains occupying but
half that time. Deep culture IS there
fore of more Importance in growing
grass crop than one of grain. As in
our drougthy climate we do not obtain
the requisite amount of moisture from
the air. we must seek for it in the
ground. and only in its depth can it be
obtained. In this way heavy crops and
a good sod are secured, the sod when
turned down. still further benefiting
the land by introducing vegetable mat
ter, which distributed through it is one
of the best means of favoring moisture.
This prepares the ground not only for
further growing grass or clover, orany
other forage crop, but in a superior
manner grain, including wheat, if the
soil is composed largely of clay.
The growing of sod, as is we'll known
to good farmers, is one of the principal
means of improving land. as the dairy
regions have long since shown in this
country and grazing in England. Badly
reduced land has been renovated and
made protitably productive in the clay
loans of Central New York by single
two years course of clover aided only
by plaster. good yield of hay being
realized at the same time. So, with a
fair set of graSs-which can be OBJ
tanned on worn-out land only by early
sowing on winter grain in the spring
or, better, on land prepared in autumn
without the grain-a good sod has
been secured in few years by the use
of mineral manures adapted to the
land. The value of the fertilizers was
realized in the crops grown, while the
main benefit-vegetable matter in the
soil-was secured in the sod, where
farm manure was wanting. But all
this must be preceded by good prep
aration of the soil, comminuting and
deeply working it, which will tell in
future years in its favor, just as bad
treatment will still further reduce it
Cor COu1f,.U Gentleman