Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1885-11-12
: AGRIcULTURAL.
Oar Pastures.

w in the New England STATES, yetilt
seems to'be the most neglected Of all
The reason probably is because it
grows the most SPONTANEOUS of all the
crops. Our pastures are great factors
to the income of our farms, but what
part Of our farms are more neglected !
They are cropped the hardest of all our
fields. and but'a very little fertility re-
turned to them, 20 they are growing
poorer year by year. The butter, cheese,
wool, and flesh made from them are
draining them fast of their fertility.
Pastures that would carry thirty COWS
twenty FIVE years ago will not carry
more than twentysor twenty-five now.
At that ratio how will it be with our
pastures one hundred years hence?
Much ofour pastures will not pay for
fencing, and too much now does not
pay for the fencing and taxes. How
are we going to stop this drain on our
pastures, or improve them Most OF
our pastures are made Of land not suit
able for the plough or cultivation, and
if they were susceptible of cultivation,
our meadows and mowings need all the
time and manure that the average
farmer knows how 70 spare; therefore,
they are left to be grubbed by the cat.
tie and to take care of themselves and
too often weeds and bushes get posses.
sion and strive for the mastery over
grasses.
Is not every one surprised, in looking
over their old pastures. to find 80 few
spears of the cultivated grasses that
were originally sown? In this section
white clover and June grass seem to be
the inevitable grass Of all our fields. 1t
will work in time, if not soon. Then
why not sow it with the other grasses
for pasture? The quantity it produces
is small but the quality is excellent,
and nothing stands our winters or
droughts bitter. Red clover soon dies
out, and timothy is sooh pulled out by
the cattle; in time white clover and
June grass will work in, but before
they do so as to sward the ground over
numerous weeds will work in, which
causes much trouble TO keep pasture
elem, but with the ground we'll sward-
ed there is not much trouble with
weeds. Where the inevitable June
grass is sown with clover, timothy,
orchard grass and red top We get good
sward mach sooner, and keep it much
LONGER. With Inc orchard grass val
liable for the pasture. 1t holds in the
ground much longer than red clover or
timothy; it starts earlier in the spring.
and lasts later in the fall.
Ten years ago bought a piece OF
land Joining my farm that was cleared
of timber and sowed to cats and limo
t thy bv the man that I bought it Of; he
probably bought considerable scrr,l
with his timothy. for they both came
up thick The sixth Year after sowing
there was but little timothy on the ten
acres, but plenty Of sorre strawberry,
raspberry, and other weeds. | plough
ed the ground four years ago, sowen to
rye, and stocked with red and white
clover, red top timothy, orchard, and
June grass, a good proportion of the
two latter; now have The ground well
swarded over with grass and scarcel Y Il
wee Oh the piece. | have the best sue,
cess IN sowing grass seed the last of
August or first Of September.
| have stocked with SIX kinds grass
seed eighteen acres last year and ten
this year. 1t was land just cleared of
timber and heavily seeded with seed of
my own raising All spots not getting
Il good catch the first seeding are re-
seeded to get good sNard to keep the
weeds ont, as well as for grass and
looks. One acre of new land pastured
is worth four of old that has been past
ured sixty or seventy years How are
We going to improve our old pastures
easier than to partially adopt the soil
ing system and let the cattle run in the
pastures? The cattle make cheap carts
for the transportation Of manure, and it
costs but little for roads for them. Let
us improve our pastures for our own
good and future generations. Cores
pondcnvc Germantown Telegraph.