The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-01-11
THE FARM AND HOME.
GRASS AND MEADOWS DE-
MAND ATTENTION..
Meadows That VIII he Permanent Are
of Greatest Importance to Farmers
The Cow for Every Family-Farm
totes and Homo Hints.
- Grn~s and Mead ows.

Grass and Meadows.
Grass is the most important of all
farm products. 1t is the principal
food of all the farm animals. If we
count up the gross value of all the
products that are derived from the
grass, we shall find it to amount to
q larger sum than that of all the
grains grown. and perhaps more
than that of every other farm crop
take together.
This shows the Importance of
giving the grass the best possible
cultivation and the enormous losses
that result from the general care
lessness with which farmers treat
this great product
There are great many kinds of
grasses. Some are ANIMALS; that is,
they grow and mature their seed and
then die. Others are perennials,
that is, they go on growing year after
year for a great many years, and if
we'll fed with manure and fertilizers
they will go on growing and support
ing cattle and sheep for hundreds of
years. In England, where the
farmers give more attention and
care to the meadows, there are fields
that have never been plowed for
hundreds of years. And such fields
are so highly valued that no tempta-
ton in the form of money would in
duce the owner of the land to break
up these meadows and destroy the
grass.
The perennial grasses are the
most valuable and are mostly grown.
The farmer has little use for any
kind OF grass except one that will
occupy the land for two or three
years. But yet there is reason to be-
lieve that more attention. might be
given to the more permanent grasses,
that would make meadows that. by
the right treatment, would last for a
great many years.
The common practice is to SOW
grass with clover, or grass alone, for
two crops of hay, and one year of
pasture and then plow the land for
wheat or corn. or some other crop.
This is a 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 by accurate
measure and weighing that one
square foot Of the sod OF q grass
field. shaken free of the adhering
soil, weighed two pounds. II we
take the number of square feet in an
acre OF land and multiply it by two
we shall find the total weight of the
sod OF an acre of land at this rate to
equal more than eighty tons. And
all this matter is worth quite as
much as the best manure is as plant
food, so that by blowing under sod
OF this kind the farmer may add to the
land such large quantity of food for
crops as would be worth fully 800
for every acre. 1t is only reasona-
BILE to believe that such a valuable
crop as grass must need the very
best preparation of the land. And
this is a truth that unfortunately
few farmers realize as they should
do. The land must be well plowed.
thoroughly we'll narrowed to make it
fine for the very small seel, and it
must he well manured to feed the
grass, that it may grow strong and
thick upon the ground. 1t is consid-
cred best by good farmers t, pillow
the land in the fall, 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 it is
fea ed that Il few dry days in the
spring might kill the young weak
plants. And this does happen at
times, but if it docs. the reason is
that some mistake has been made.
We have learned that young
plants first live upon the food that
is stored in the seed. but that as
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, if few dry days
come after the grass seeds. have
sprouted. the tender roots will be
driod and killed and the expected
grass will not be seen. Dou btless
this is the reason for much dlsap-
pointment among farmers who do
not SOW the seed and at once cover
1t. as all seeds should be.
This goes to show that the newly
sown grass seeds should be covered
by the soil, by means OF 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 Gov
erins should be worry light. on ac~
count Of tho e,ralincss of the grass
seeds. And for this specia! work
light grass seeding harrows, arc
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 plarks together by
short chains so that they may be
dragged over tho land ANA 50 cover
the seed.
Grasses arc what are c;liled