Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-04-28
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GRASSES FOR PASTURE AND MEADOW.

Conclusions Drawn From Many Years Ex-
perience With the Clorers and Grasses
Since 1880 much time, labor and money
have been expended at the Wisconsin
agricultural experiment station to as
certain what grasses are best for WIS
consin agriculture. Here are some OF
the things told by Professor Henry In
report made for Hoard's Dairyman and
of general interest. He says:
Of the clovers the mammoth furnishes
seed which brings a good price and Is
probably valuable for turning under.
Generally, however, medium red clover
should be sown, since it gives better sat
isfaction for haymaking. The aIslke
clover deserves more friends in Wlscon-
sin than it has at present. 1t Is especial
" valuable for sowing on lands slight
" damp. Of course it will not do on
! wet lands 1t holds much better when
pastured by stock than does red clover,
the plants often lasting several years IN
pastures. The stems of the alslke are
finer and better relished by stock, es-
pecially sheep, than are the coarser
stems of the red clover. Alsike seed
brings a very good price. We have tried
a number of other clovers, butnone that
will compare with alsike and the medium
red
Among the grasses the Kentucky blue
grass holds supreme sway with US for
pastures. 1t is commonly known as
June grass" in this state. This grass
starts very early in the spring and fur
nishes abundance of feed until about the
lst of July, when it enters period OF
rest and is of little worth until about the
list of September, when, if favorable
conditions prevail as to rainfall and heat,
it starts up again. furnishing fine pas
ture all the fall Redtop holds fairly
we'll and is especially valuable for lands
somewhat damp. Fowl meadow grass
may also be tried in limited way where
redtop succeeds.
Orchard grass should be sown in the
pastures for the purpose OF furnishing a
variety. but should never be sown alone.
For meadows the standard mixture is
timothy and clover. Orchard grass can
be sown along with clover, with orwlth-
out the timothy. 1t can be cut earlier
than the timothy and fully as early as
clover Meadows produced from the
mixture of this with clover can be cut
earlier than where timothy is sown. I'm
less cut very early orchard grass makes
a woody, unsatisfactory hay.
OF the newer candidates for favor in
the meadow the only one we have had
any success with is the tall meadow oat
grass, which we find holds pretty well.
The oat grass hay is somewhat bitter to
the taste, but is fairly well liked by cat
tie. 1t ripens even earlier than orchard
grass. From the stiff nature of its
straw it prevents clover from falling
over. enabling it to dry out quicker
after being cut with the mower. To
those who wish to experiment with
grasses for meadows would recommend
the use Of some alsike, orchard grass and
tall oat grass, along with common red
clover and timothy
Many of our farmers seem yet not to
properly understand the vegetation of the
clover plant. laboring under the impress
sion that it is necessary to SOW some
grain crop with the clover to protect it.
The truth is clover does best when sown
by itself or with other grasses aud with
out any nurse crop Of any kind Where
it is important to get good stand Of
clover SOW it by itself. In that case a
good crop of hay can be cut from the
seeding the first year if the season is
favorable; at least heavy pasturage will
be afforded in the fall