Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-04-02
FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
THE FARMERS MISMANAGE-
MENT OF MEADOWS.
Using too Little Seed when sown Broad
cast-Raising Turkeys-Cheese
Poisoning Farm Notes aud
Domestic Helps.
mistakes IN Managing Meadows.

Mistakes In Managing Meadows.
The American farmer Is more re-
miss in the matter OF seeding his land
with forage crops than in any other
important branch OF husbandry.
Cereal seeding is usually done with
considerable care. The quantity OF
seed per acre IS carefully measured
out, and effort made at even distribu-
ton. The growth Is watched TO ma
turity, to ascertain whether the seed
ing was too thick or too thin. ana BY
this means quite correct guage for
the next seeding Is obtained. the OBJ.
iect being to get rate that will pro-
duce and mature all the plants the
land is capable Of doing and no more.
| But when seeding with tho grasses
and clovers, little heed is paid 70 re
quired kinds and quantity for best
results, and generally not much 70
even and thorough distribution \
person would be considered BY some
as a proper subject for the lunatic
asylum II he should state that not ono
| farmer in four hundred knows what
kinds OF grass-seeda 1t is best for him
\ to SOW, how much. or the best way TO
SOW them; yet. - may bo shuwa
/ presently he would not he far out "
the way who should mako such 4
statement
1t is Il bad practice TO drill In tim
othy seed with grain, or even alone,
says writer in the Country Gentle
man. The roots Of the plant spread
very little. When drilled In tho
plants come up in streaks and remain
so as long as they exist They arc
in a rut as ID we're from which
they never get out Roots do not dtl
il tho spaces between the strcaks ana
this much OF tho ground remains uu-
/ occupied. After the crop u moved.
timothy Is a long time in start
ing up alrcsh. Sowcd III this
manner, oven good land rarcly
produces over ton 81 hay % tho acre
because the soil Is not all flied, and
get this method continues 10 81 pxae-
liccd largely.
Another great error Is tn using too
little seed when il Is sown broadcast
even II clover Il 10 b. added. The
usual way Is 10 SOW timothy with wheat
tLA ZIG AkLtA aAAlAA tLhttA NAbfR+ Attff itAA y
spring. II Tor meadow. when cut tho
ensuing year the crop will be all c!o-
YER scarcely n spear OF timothy being
noticeable. The year after that the
clover will have disappeared and the
, crop is timothy. How Il that2 Clover
Is q biennial and II died out the second
season. Tho first season Il outgrcw
and over-spread the timothy. and kept
, 1t so short and fine that ii was not no
, ticed. Timothy Is a perennial II Il
has chance 70 be- and clover can be
kept growing right along with II Il
, desired. After cutting tho crop the
FIRST time keep all cattle OIL. Let tho
, second crop Of that season seed and
J drop on the ground. 10 this every
) year and the hay will BE- half clover
and half timothy continually.
But the temptation to remove th,
second crop OF clover by grazing Of
, for seed or for 'roweu" Il 20 great
that 1t is tho custom to do II Their
there remains for subsequent meadow
!, Or pasture the field seeded with timo
|. thy. but never half thick enough
/ Roots do not fill the ground and cove
|, the surface as they should. but stant
! in stools here and there like lone son
! tinels. In soil that hcaves. the fros
!. has fine opportunity to throw out thcs,
Isolated stools; whereas had the sec,
! been sOwn thick enough. 50 that III,
!. roots would have become continent In
! tcrtwining and intorlocking, covering
/ the ground completely, frost woul,
J have loss opportunity to ontcr: and /
) would not be at all likely to do an
damage iu this manner, for Ii coul
! hardly throw up tho entire surface
1 Thick seeding prevents heaving
j care has been observed to got Til
i grasses or clovers we'll established b
: fore winter sets In.
g How to SOW the seed Is n pcrtincr
i. question. II has already been show
4 that drilling it in is an error. Som
like the broadcast sowcr 0
:, wheels. and some the wheclbarro,
: 5ower; but could never have any us
!, Tor either A man skilled in tho bus
ness can SOW by hand as many acre
in day as any machine can and
he Is an expert In the business h
will distribute the seed as evenly an
oftentimes better; but this Is bus
ness no incident careless man shoul
attempt