Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-09-10
PASTURES.
The Disappearance of the Best Grasses
Necessity OF Renovation.

The Disappearance of the Best Grasses
Necessity Of Renovation.
The evils that are experienced in pas.
ture grounds are the gradual disap-
pearance of the best grasses, the
growth of MOSES and weeds in their
stead. and the prevalence of coarse
heritage which cattle reject. in situa-
lions where there exists superabund-
ance of moisture. Wherever there are
stagnant waters, as upon fiat surfaces
that abound in springs, or which have
a superficial soil upon tenacious sub
soil, the heritage is not only mainly re-
iected by the stock, but the pasture is
unhealthy. particularly to sheep; but it
is remarked that if the water is in contin-
| ued motion, as is generally the case upon
the declivities of hills and mountains.
ill consequences do not often result.
To remedy the evils enumerated, and
to improve the value OF pasture
grounds, one or more of the following
expedients NAV be resofted to, viz,
sowing and narrowing in grass seeds,
scarifying. draining. manurlng, top
dressing with ashes or chemical ferti-
lizers. 1t is of little use, however. to
sow seed without top-dressing. When
this is done clover and fine grasses
spring up indigenonsly from seed
| already in the soil, but not
in condition to germinate till
the sol is enriched. Grass seed may
be sown in September or April, followed
by the harrow. and, if practicable, the
| roller. The harrow partially extirpates
the moses. breaks and pulverizes the
surface. and buries the seeds; and the
roller presses the earth to the seeds
and smooths the surface. The bush
harrow is to be preferred. This may
be constructed by Interviewing some
strong. but plant branches of trees
through the open squares of heavy
harrow, which thus forms an efficient
brush. and when drawn over the
ground performs it's duty perfectly dur
ing short distance, but the branches
being pressed close and worn by the
motion. soon become so fiat as not to
have the effect of spreading the earth
thrown upon the surface by earth
worms, ground mice or ants. 1t is
therefore recommended as a better
mode to fix the branches upright in a
frame, placed in the front part of the
carriage of the roller. by which means
they can be so placed as to sweep the
ground el1ectually, and when worn can
be moved a little lower down, so as to
continue the work with regularity.
This operation also completely breaks
and scatters the manure dropped on
the field by the stock, and incorporates
it with the surface mould. Scarifying
is cutting the sod and loosening the
surface; in most cases the smooth
ing harrow performs the work
to the best advantage. 1t
slices the sod without tearing it. ssst is
best used when the ground is il q
moderate state of mo sture, and tho
grass short. If the land is poor 81
moss-bound it may be passed cross
wise also. 1t is advantageously used
to precede the sowing of grass seeds.
| heritage, and manuring. lining or ash
ticed that animal dung, when dropped
on coarse pastures, produces little
or no benefit; but when cabcarous
matters have been laid upon the sur
face. the finer grasses soon take pos
session of it. Bushing, that is, draw
ing over the ground tops or heavy
branches of trees, tends to extirpate
moss, ioosens the surface to atmos-
| pheric influences, aud covers grass seed
which may have been sown previous
to the operation. Manures are sell
dom applied to pastures for the
reason that not enough is made
on the farm for the wants of
the titled land, and the pastures
in general being remote from the
barn the expense of hauling makes
it's use more profitable to apply it
nearer where it is made. Gypsum and
| ashes may be applied with qndoubted
benefit in most cases; but the dressing
used for lawns, a mixture of one
part of nitrate of soda, one part mu-
riate of potash, and one part of fine
ground Charleston phosphate, well
mixed together, and the mixture ap-
piled broadcast at the rate of 400
pounds to the acre, at an expense not
exceeding IS. will turn worthless pas
lures into good feeding ground. The
same application, once renewed, will
produce over one ton of hay TO the
acre; and. if the land is smooth. it can
be converted into moving. as it not
only increases the quantity of the
grass. but greatly improves the quality
of the same. This fact is easily demon
strated by dressing one acre of a large
pasture with this mixture, and the cattle
will feed on that acre as long as there
is any heritage left. to the neglect of
all the rest of the field.
1t need hardly be added that bushes,
thistles and other perennial weeds OBJ
struct the growth of grass, and that
they ought to be carefully extirpated;
and that surface stones diminish the
heritage in proportion to the extent of
surface they occupy. These should be
consigned to the bitches in the swamp,
where they will settle to the
bottom. and if enough are used.
will form an underground drain.
and as they settle to the bottom
they raise the surface of the swamp.
The weeds that infest pasture grounds
are mostly biennials or perennials. IT
these are cut two or three times sea-
son. at the surface of the ground, they
will die. Leaves are as essential to
vegetables as lungs are to animal life.
Divested of these celebrating organs,
the vitality of the vegetable is soon de-
stroved. Our pasture grounds are
generally left to take care OF them
selves. but there is no doubt that the
expense bestowed upon their improve
ment in some of the modes above sug-
gested would be proftably laid out.
Their value depends upon the quantity
and quality of the heritage which they
Weld. The quality is in great meas
ure determined by the exemption of the
soil from stagnant water; the quantity
by the richness of the soil, and its ex-
emption from moss, bushes. weeds,
stones and other surface instructions,
for if these are eradicated or removed
it is presumed that nutritious grasses
will occupy their places. Cleveland