Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-14
CHOICE OF GRASSES.
The Best Seeds to Sow for Permanent
Meadow and Pasture.

| The Best Seeds to Sow for Permanent
Meadow and Pasture.
| Grasses admirably adapted to some
soils and situations may be of little
value in other conditions. A dry, grav-
ely hillside would be very poor place
on which to SOW timothy. red-top and
alsike, and yet that same dry hillside. il
reasonably fertilized, would grow album
dainty hard fescue, sleeps fescue,
! crested dogstail. Kentucky blue and
white clover. The superficial terms,
Light SOIL" medium light soil,
..heavy dry soil, -: heavy moist soil, y
..moist peaty soil" ''gravelly loan. y
SANDY loam," ''dry hillside" stiff or
gravelly as the case may be-these are
the most common designations, and as
such, whether applied to arabic or to
grass lands, will do for the purpose OF
stating what kinds or varieties of grasses
are best adapted to such soils and situa-
! tons. First. then. as to average light
Soils" or sandy loan; on such. if in
tended for meadow. should be sown
timothy. meadow fescue. Italian rye
grass, yellow oat grass and medium
red clover. If intended for pasture.
then the best varieties would be Ken
lucky blue. Pacey's rye grass. orchard
and meadow oat grass, rough stalk and
modicum of white clover; these would
produce early, medium and late pas
turage.
On medium light soils, if not peaty,
the grasses just named would do well
for meadow and for pasture. emitting
the red and substituting for it the white
clOvers.
On heavy dry Soils" for meadows,
SOW timothy, perennial rye grass, tall
fescue and medium red clover; and for
pasture substitute Kentucky blue and
orchard grass for the timothy, and white
for red clover.
On ''moist heavy SOILS" for meadow,
sow timothy, red-top and Italian rye
grass, rough stalk and medium red
clover; and for pasture omit the timo-
thy, the rye grass and red clover, and
substitute Kentucky blue, orchard grass
and white clover.
On ''moist peaty Soils" for meadow,
sow timothy, water meadow grass. red
top and alsike; and for pasture, Ken
lucky blue, red-tOp, foul meadow grass
and alsike. These grasses are not only
adapted to moist situations, but will
form sod not likely to be ''heaved
OUT by frost.
On SANDY soils" and "sandy loans
in lowland, for meadow, sow timothy,
tall fescue, yellow oat grass, sweet ver-
nal, and large red clover.
On firm .gravely loam." SOW for
meadow and for pasture the same mix
lures as above indicated for heavy,
dry Soils"
On dry hill-sides, having soil either
stiff or friable. the pasture grasses should
be sleeps fescue, Pacey's eye grass,
crested dogstail. Kentucky blue, sweet
vernal and white clovers.
1t is sometimes desirable to grow
grass in partly shaded woodland pas
lures. For such places the best varieties
are orchard grass, red-top, foul meadow
grass. meadow oat grass and wood
meadow grass in about equal proper
tons.
In all the foregoing indicated mix
lures. for meadows, timothy, of course,
should be the predominaring grass.
Orchard and meadow oat grasses are
not fit to grow in meadow with timo-
thy. as the two first named ripen so early
that by the time the timothy is fit to cut
these are Over-ripe, dead, dry and in
nutritious. But for meadow, either
for early hay or to grow for soil!ng pur-
poses, nothing can be more profitable
than these champion grasses. the
meadow oat grass and the orchard grass,
when grown together in the proportions
of three of the latter to one of the former.
The orchard grass, when not sown very
thick, is inclined to grow in tussocks,
while the oat grass stools and thus fills
up the interstices.-Cor. Country Gentle
man.