The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-03-24
Renewing Old Meadows.
journal of Agrieulture.l


When it is desirable to renew an old
meadow without blowing it up and reseed-
ing, the harrow has generally been used for
the purpose; but unless it is a very heavy
one, or is loaded, it does not loosen the soil
sufficiently to give a good cover to the seed.
/ have been working for several years to get
permanent grass meadows by reseeding them
when necessary, narrowing the ground and
loosening up the surface, but | never sue
ceeded until used the Acme pulverizing
harrow first used this about seven years
ago. on a hillside meadow, which j con-
sidered might as well be wholly destroyed as
not, as it was badly run out and had become
thin and messy. ] run the Acme harrow
over il several times and found it to work
great deal better than j expected and much
better than any other harrow l had pre-
viously used. Ii did not tear up the
grass excepting where it was so thin
as to be scarcely visible, and
in these spots itsmade mellow loose sur
face well fitted for seeding down. The
grassy spots were stirred up no more than
was sufficient to freshen the soil between
the stools and not injured in the least but
improved very much, not a root being torn
up. The new seeding grew quite as well as
if 1T had been made upon plowed ground,
and with dressing of plaster On it was large
enough to be pastured early in the fall, and
gave good crop of hay the next year. 1t is
now in good condition and needs no repair.
This experience led me TO manage other
meadows in the same way, and L am intend
ing to go over a ten-acre field this spring
with the Acme as the best method know
of for renewing it ann putting it in good
condition again. | have also tried the
method of running the Acme over my clover
and grass meadow after top-dressing them,
spreading the manure and working 1T down
to the roots, and with very satisfactory re-
suits The small quantity OF soil which is
worked up greatly freshens the grass, and
the manure is mixed with it, with much
benefit to the crop.
About twenty years ago had an expert
ence with narrowing grain which bears very
strongly upon this question of narrowing
grass. A harrow had been left in field
sown to wheat the fall previously, and stood
aga INST the fence in the far corner. l wanted
to use this harrow in the spring and had
either to bring il over the wheat or take a
wagon oven il. ! choose to draw the har-
row over the wheat against the urgent re-
monstrance OF skillful hired man, who
said the wheat would be ruined. / thought
differently and the harrow was drawn across
the corner of the field, making dark streak
through it, but stearing up only very few
plants. This strip soon shot ahead of the
rest of the wheat and yielded much larger
quantity of grain. This experience led me
to harrow half field the next spring with
similar good results. The facts were pub
lished in an agricultural journal and started
the now quite common and very useful prac-
tice of narrowing tall grain in the spring,
especially when the land is sOwn down TO
grass, and clover, which gets a good start in
the fresh mellow soil while the grain is great
ly benefited. This applies very usefully to
the practice of narrowing meadows, and
shows that the fears sometimes expressed
that the grass may be injured are groundless.
The Acme harrow may be used for the i'm
provement of grass lands quite as safely as
any other implement, and with much better
effect, as have found by frequent expert
ence with it, Too little attention is given to
this method of improving meadows, which
serves to make the grabs permanent crop,
when accompanied by some fresh seed every
few years. and an occasional top dressing
with MAJ CIe OF fertilizer.