Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-03-13
PREPARING LAND FOR GRASS.
Thorough Tillage and Manure as Ncces-
sary For This as For Other Crops.


Thorough Tillage and Manure as Ncces-
sary For This as For Other Crops.
Our best land is put to gram, and it
gets our best attention to put it in or
der. When it ceases to give satisfac-
tory crops, it is put to grass. with the
expectat on that this will improve it.
which it sometimes does; but IN many
cases the grass soon runs out, or fails
of ..catch, the land being too poor,
or, mechanically, in too unfayorable a
condition. latter the result which
inevitably follows the abuse Of clay soil,
leaving it lumpy, and incapable OF with
standing drouth, while the little plant
food it NAV have is locked up in the
Jumps, or if liberated by soaking rains,
is carried beyond the reach of the scaat
roots of the plant. Worse than all is
droufh, which usually proves fatal to
spring seeding on such land. Here is
the loss of the seed and of the labor of
sowing and brushing the land, not un-
frequently repeated the following year
with the same result. to say nothing of
the disarrangement ofcrops consequent
upon such failure. Should mo st sea-
son occur, there w II be at best but a
weak growth, and unless heavily seed
ed, light catch, some seed being al
ways thrown away on such soil.
Such management has been the
means of an immense loss, and is still
heavy drain. This is to be deplored,
and the more so as the remedy is so
evdent-s simply a better preparation of
the soil, which means not only the use
of implements, aided by the elements,
particularly frost, but enrichment as
we'll Where land is intended to be
seeded down, whether in connection
with grain crop or without, is should
receive extra attention in order TO favor
the increased demand of the double
crop of the grain and the forage plant,
Or The latter, if sown alone, SO as TO se-
cure not only good catch and start,
but to continue the growth and sustain
the plant during the drouth which sell
dom fails to occur. In this way fair
to good crop is realized the same sea-
son If grown without an accompanying
gra n crop, with the prospect of al in
creased yield the following season, to
be further kept up with manure, which,
if properly applied. will suffer no loss
on grass lands, the network of roots
which forms the sod appropriating all,
tine in such case be ng allowed for
this. Further, good cover of grass
win prevent the rays OF the sun
and the drying winds from getting
access to the ground, and viii hold
the dew and the moisture of the rain
longer. The man 10 of moisture IS
what the plants them elves take from
the soil, and the greater the quaint ty
the better, as it is a measure OF the
growth of the crop. Th S 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 gong
on during the entire seaa5n, from ear
Iy spring till late fall, the grains occu-
pying but half that time. Deep culture
| is therefore of more Importance in
growing grass crop than one of grain.
| As in our drouthy climate we do not
obtain the requisite amount of mo ST
| ure 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 good sol are secured, the
sod, when turned down, still further
| beneiitting the land by introduc ng
vegetable matter, which distributed
/ through it is one of the best means of
| favor NC moisture. This prepares the
ground not only for further growing
| grass or clover. or any other forage
crop, but in superior manner grain,
including wheat, If the SOL is composed
largely OF clay. .
The growing of sod. as is well
known to good farmers, is one of the
| principal means of improving lald, as
the dairy regions have long since
| shown in this country and grazing
in England. Badly reduced land has
been renovated and made profitably
| productive in the clay loans OF Central
New York by single two years,
course of clover aided only BY a plas-
ter. good yield of hay being realized at
| the same time So, with a fair set OF
/ grass-which can be obtained on worn
| out land only by early sowing on
winter grain in the spring or, better,
on land prepared in autumn without
| bIfG SIdlll--d SOOo SUI IDS O1OA ~
cured in few years by the use OF
mineral manures adapted TO the land.
| The values of the fertilizers was real
lied in the crops grown, while the
main benefit-vegetable material IN
the soil--was secured in the sod. where
/ farm manure was wanting. But al
this must be preceded by good prep.
arat;on of the soil, comminuting AMI
deeply working it, which will tell in fu
ture years in its favor, just as bae
treatment will still further reduce it.
This proposed treatment of improv
ing land for grass means almost
revolution, so much has this part o
farming been neglected. The ole
| management in effect undertakes grass
and fails to appreciate sod, when it i
known that they are leading factors
in agriculture, the benefits OF each t.
i be secured speed ly, by a single prep
aration OF tile sol made thorough
aided by the elements and by manure
Cor. Country Gcntienaf.
a