Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-02-17
THE FARM AND HOME.
GRASS AND MEADOWS DE-
MAND ATTENTION.
sfs-ssEs That WIZ he Permanent are
rr Grratest TaportaHos 20 FarHsFs-
s-aa cav for Every Tsniir-fsrHa
ssoles and Home HIutE


count mp the gross value OF ali lhc
products that are derived from the
nca5s. we shall find il 10 amount 70
a iarzer sum than that 81 a. the
grains grown. and perhaps more
than that Of every other farm crop
take together.
This shows the Importance oI
giving the grass the best posi- PIE
cultivation and the enormous losses
hat rssuls from the general care
lessness with which farmers treat
this great product
There are a great many kinds 81
grasses Some are annuals that y,
they grow and mature their seed and
then die Others are perehnials,
that Is. they 90 on growing year after
yea- for a great many years. and 4
we'll fed with manure and Fertilizers
they Will go on growing aud support
ing cattle and sheep FOR hundreds Of
years. in England. where the
farmers give more attention and
care % the meadows. there are nelds
th1. have never been ploUeu Tor
hundreds Of years Aud such fields
are so highly valued that no tenpta-
ton 10 the form o. money would in-
duce the owner Of the land 70 break
up these meadows aud destroy the
grass.
The perennial grasses are the
most valua bic and are mostly grown.
The farmer has little u-e for any
kind OF grass except one that vii.
occupy the land for two o. three
years But yet there Is reason 70 be-
lieye that more attention might b.
given TO the more permanent grasses,
that would make meadows that, by
the right treatment. would las. for
great many years
The common practice j. 10 sow
grass with clover. or grass alone. for
two crops OF hay. and one year 81
pasture and then plow the land for
wheat or corn. or some other crop.
This IS q very good practice because
the roots Of the grass and clover.and
the stems and leaves afford most
valuable manure for the crops follow
ing. 1t has been found oy accurate
measure and Weighing that one
square foot Of the sod Of a grass
I field. shaken free Of the adhering
soil. weighed two pounds II We
take the number Of square feet 10 an
acre OF and and multiply il by two
We shall lind the total weight % the
sod OF an acre Of land at this rate 70
equal more than eighty tons And
all this matter Is worth quite as
much a. the best manure is as plant
food. so that b. blowing under q sod
OF this kind the farmer may add 20 the
I land such d large quantity Of food Tor
I crops as would be worth fully 500
! for every acre. II IS only reasona-
BILE to believe that such a valuable
/ crop as grass must need the very
/ best preparation Of the land. AMI
/ this Is a truth that unfOrtu uately
/ few farmers realize as thcy should
1 do The land must be we'll plowed.
/ thoroughly well narrowed 70 make II
4 fine for the very small soc I. and Il
! must be well nanured 20 feed the
/ grass. that it may grow strong and
/ thick upon the ground. II is cOnsid-
1 cred best b. good farmers q pillow
1 the land in the fail. turning under
| plenty Of manure and then SOW
/ wheat. seeding with the grass at the
| same time. This is done because the
/ grass is very weak at first. and il is
/ feared that a few dry days in the
spring might kill the young weak
4 plants. And this does happen at
times. but If IL does. the reason IS
that some mistake has been made
j
/ plants FIRST live upon the food that
is stored in the seed. but that a.
/ soon as this Is exhausted, the roots
get the food from the soil To do
this it is necessary that the roots
should be in the soil But unless
the seed have been sown in the soil
the roots will not be In. but only on
the soil, and thus, II few dry days
\ come after the grass seeds have
rprOuted. the tender roots will be
dried and killed and the expected
grass will not be seen. Doubtless
this is the reason for much disap.
| pointment among farmers who do
not SOW the seed and at once cover
it. as all seeds should be.
This goes TO show that the newly
sown grass seeds should be covered
by the soil, by means Of a light har-
rowing. as soon as the sowing is
completed. Then there Is no risk Of
damage by dry weather, for the roots
will be able TO gather food and sup
| port the young grass. But this COW
erinR should be very light. on ac-
count OF the smallness OF the grass
seeds. And for this special work
light grass seeding harrows are
made, or should be for this use.
Some farmers use plank or two. or
three. or more Of them for this work.
and drag OF this kind IS made by
fastening the plauks together by
short chains so that they may be
dragged over the land and so cover
the seed.
Grasses are what are called
sociable plants. that Is. several
kinds grow together better than one
alone. Thus. when several kinds
arc thus sewn together. they grow