The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-15
Recruiting Meadows.

Much has been said and written at
farmers institutes and in the var ious
farm journals in regard to the wasteful
and ruinous practice of selling hay from
the farm instead of feeding the stock
which are supposed to return some valu-
able elements to the soil that the hay
crop has taken out, thus keeping up the
strength of the meadows Some take
the extreme view that the farmer should
never sell a spear of hay, but keep it all
to feed, and in case of an abundance to
increase his stock instead of depicting
his hay NOW to recruit his pocketbook.
In regard to this ultra view, it is only
necessary to recall that axiom among
farmers, that 1t don't pay to buy stock
simply to winter over" and it will be
seen that the most successful stock grow
ers deplete rather than increase their
herds and fiocks in the fall, and expert
ence has taught that an animal cannot be
brought through the winter in good con-
dition on hay alone.
We are agreed that to cut hay of of a
meadow from year to year and put moth
ing back, will soon wear out the strongest
soil, and the ordinary way to remedy this
is to break up meadows every third or
fourth year, and after putting in some
early harvested crop like oats, summer
fallown it or SOW to wheat, reseeding at
the same time. But this is loss of time
that the farmer who caters to the market
cannot afford, for it takes time and pains
and strict honesty 70 establish paying
market for any product, and having once
found a market the farmer cannot keep
his customers waiting while he rehews
his meadows.
The present article is intended to show
how the farmer may raise a heavy hay
crop every year, sell all but enough to
winter his team and cow or two, main
tain the strength of his meadows undi-
minished, and have more clear money
each year than the dairy farmer. How
may we keep up the strength of our
meadows without their taking an en-
forced vacation every third or fourth
yearS The query may be answered in
one word topdressing. 1t is obvious
that we must supply what the grass has
taken from the soil, without disturbing
the sod, and it must be an agent that will
act quickly and at the precise time to
give the grass vigorous growth before
the dry weather of summer comes on. 1t
has proven by successful experiment
that q strong phosphate applied
literally over the entire surface
of a meadow, in early spring
while the ground is soft and yet soaked
with water, will give the grass an early
and vigorous growth that will at once put
1t beyond the reach of drought supplying
more elements of strength than the crop
removes, thus constantly rejuvenating the
soil. The mode of application is as fol-
lows From an ordinary grain drill re-
move the teeth, leaving the hose and dis
turbing none of the other mechanism.
Regulate the feed so as to spread about
200 or 300 pounds to the acre, according as
your soil is good or poor. 1t has been
found that this treatment will bring up
even worn-out meadows to produce two
tons per acre of fine, heavy hay of uni
form quality, and the influence of the fer
tilizer is felt to some extent the following
year, though the best results are obtained
only by successive applications each
Snrinp