Mower County transcript., 1892-06-08

SEEDING WITH GLOVER AND GRASS,

Henry Stewards Plan - Told In Tho
Country Gentleman.
Disappointing results from the SOW
ing of grass seed, believe, are due to
the failure to cover the seed properly.
The seeds are very small, but the young
plant is strong and vigorous, and is not
amenable to the rule laid down by some
persons to the effect that all seeds should
be covered SO many times their diameter
three, think, is the usual recommen-
dation. Clover seed will come to the sur
face through fully two inches Of cover
ing, although there is no necessity to
cover it 90 deeply as that. But covering
is as indispensable for these small seeds
as for oats or wheat. The same result
happens with all, when there is not suffi.
cient depth of soil for the roots-when
the sun was up, not having any depth of
earth, they wlthered away. Every pos
sible aid must be given to reach effective
results in this work especially, which
comes at season when the weather
may be unpropitious just after sowing
the seeds, and one hot, dry, windy day
may kill every sprouted seed that lies
exposed on the surface of the land, while
the seed and it's young roots, covered
with an inch Of mellow moist soil, are
safe against several days of the same
kind of weather.
Since I have made practice of har-
rowing in my grass and clover seedlings
I have never had 4 failure. My prefer
ence is to SOW with oats, and if conven-
lent with millet in the latter part of
June. The present season I have two
fields to be sown with millet, a crop
which is excellent for this purpose and
valuable for soiling or for hay. use
one peck Of seed of each kind per acre
that is, when clover is sown with tim
othy, mixed crop which is certainly
the best for hay or pasture of any that
is grown. With slight sloping tooth
harrow, as the Thomas, used after the
first sown seed has been we'll narrowed
and the soil made quite firm, these small
seeds will rarely get more than half an
inch of covering, except in the heaped
soil between the harrow marks, and this
will soon settle down to common level.
One thing is Indispensable in this SOW
ing. This is the even spreading of the
seed. To do this is not difficult. IF the
seed is sown right after the narrowing
of the grain crop it is quite easy to walk
across the harrow marks and see the
footsteps at distance of eight feet, and
quite as easy to throw the seed that dis
tance so that it will fall evenly. Tim
othy and clover SOW together very evenly,
but the ightest grass seeds should be
sown alone, especially when the least
wind is blowing. Some advocate rolling
the surface instead of narrowing it. This
may do at times and on some soils, and
not at others. If dry spell follows the
rolling, goodby to the grass, for the sur
face dries and the young plants will not
get through the crust =
Unless the land has been well manured
it will well afford q liberal application
of fertilizer to the young grass. There
is no time when it will be more beneficial
than when the seed is just sown, and l
would follow with the fertilizer without
delay. Two hundred and fifty pounds
of the complete manure will be we'll re-
paid by the first use Of the grass, which
may be the next fall as pasture for a
flock of sheep or lambs, or the calves or
a colt. The light treading will be use
full, and the feeding of the new growth
will be beneficial