The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-13
Some Good Hay Grasses For the
south.

Johnson Grass.-This coarse perennial
a meadow than a pasture grass. When
thickly set on land and cut when tender,
it makes a rich, though coarse hay, and
yields several cuttings from May to Octo-
her. 1t is propagated from seed and roots
the latter being the surest. Once set on
good land, it will remain for many years,
enriching the land greatly by. the annual
decay of it's roots. To the stock farmer
it is a valuable grass, filling an important
position a selling or hay crop. Being
very difficult to eradicate, it would be a
curse in the cotton farm. This grass is
already well known to many of our south
ern farmers, and needs no extended no.
tice.
Herd Grass, or Red Top.-This is a per
ennial grass, especially adapted TO low,
moist places. 1t has an immense amount
Of thick roots, which so interlace as to
make a very firm sod on wet, swampy soil.
Cut at an early stage, it makes a fine
hay, and finally makes a fine pasture.
Not quite so good as other grasses, but
its value consists chiefly in it's adapta-
bility to lands that are too wet for cult
walton. 1t is the best grass for this pur-
pose that we know.
Meadow Dat Grass.-This is another
winter grass. and should be more gener-
ally cultivated in the south. 1t will grow
in most any kind of land, and furnishes
fine grazing in the winter. 1t is a bunch
grass, and does not spread from the roots.
1t stands the heat of summer better than
the Texas blue grass, but altogether is
not so desirable as the latter, but, for the
sake of variety, it should have a place on
the stock farm, as it is a very valuable
grass.
Orchard grass is certainly we'll adapted
to our climate and soils. Like the mead
ow oat grass, it is supposed to grow in
punches, and on this account it is adj
Yisable to sow some other grass or clover
to fill up the spaces between. Red clover
is generally recommended as good plant
to mix with 1t and enrich land It is the
very best, perhaps, but on medium land
the trouble can be overcome sufficiently
by seeding heavily, using three to three
and one-half bushels of seed per acre. On
good land it can be moved several times
a year, and makes an excellent hay
1t will grow better in the shade, per-
haps, than any other grass from which
circums lance it gets its name, it being a
common practice in Europe to sow 1t in
orchards. If used for pasturage, it can
be pastured very late in the faH, and
grows out very early in the spring. II
should always be moved before it gets
old, and when cut at the proper time
makes hay superior to timothy, 50 rated
by those who are familiar with the two
plants The orchard grass is not partial
TO thin lands, however, and it is only on
clay loans or rich clays that it can be
grown to the best advantage. Land once
wen set in it with an occasional mauur-
ing, will continue to furnish fine pastur-
age and moving for many years. While
the fall is the best time for seeding down
grass land, it can generally be done very
successfully at the close of winter Feb
ic na hoe
starting permanent meadows or pastures
one should appreciate the very great value
of a thorough preparation of the land
having it as rich as possible, to start with
pulverizing the surface thoroughly, and
sowing a full quantity of good, fresh
seed, having such seed at any cost The
seed should be carefully sown when the
air Is perfectly calm, if during a gentle
sprinkle of rain all the better To secure
perfect regularity the seed should be d.
vided, half being sown north and south
and then SOW the other half from east
TO west After sowing the surface should
be well rolled if the soil is not too wet
All stumps and large rocks should be
removed so as to have no obstacles fol
the mower.
Sprouts of all kinds should be persist
entity grubbed up, and for a year or two
oil noxious weeds should be hand pulled
before this seed, so as to secure a perfectly
clean meadow or pasture, as the case
may be.
The subject of improved meadows and
pastures should receive the earnest con-
sideration of our farmers. We have as
fine as can be found anywhere, If we only
get at it right and on our cheap lands
and with our short winters, we ought tC
compete successfully with any section OF
this country with the raising of stock
our quilted uplands are to be reclaimed
only through the medium of grass and
stock.