Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-05-13
Renew Old Meadoms.


est sources of wealth on the farm, and
( one also that has received as yet com
! paratively little attention. In the
states best adapted to grazing grass is
most appreciated. AS an adjunct Of
diversified farming it must receive a
full share of consideration, if we are to
expect results of a permanent nature.
Anyone that has ridden on the train
through any large strip of country in
the West will be painfully impressed
with the little attention that is given to
this most important crop. If such
journey be taken just before time for
moving the grass the object lesson
will be complete. Last summer, in
trip through two western states, the
attention Of the writer was drawn to
these facts. The crops of grass as
they existed just at moving time, were
exceedingly uneven. Here would be
field of timothy standing erect and
thick, though the sections visited had
been injured by deficient rainfall.
The next field would be one of the
same kind of grass, but the grass in
it would be hardly one-half as high as
that in the first field, and, moreover,
very thin on the ground. Even the
stalks of grass were small and wiry,
instead of being large and juicy. There
were few of the first kind of fields and
many of the latter kind. 1t is safe to
say that the grass on these latter fields
would be far less valuable than the
grass on the first field, for the reason |
OF being less digestible. When this
loss is added to the loss due to lessened |
quantity, we can but see that where |
the first kind Of grass crops might be
raised at good profit the latter would
be at positive loss.
The remedies for these conditions
are not far to seek. Land that has re-
ceived proper treatment in the rotation
can generally be relied on to give
fair crop of grass when the time comes
to put it into grass, even though little
or no manure be applied. The culture
Of the soil alone will have accomplish
ed much, and if the roots of clover
crop have been turned under, the Sue
ceeding crops of grass for several
ground had been left untouched. We
believe that the idea of permanent
meadows is a mistake, unless the said
meadows continue to bear large crops.
We have known meadows that within
DUR memory had never been turned up,
although every year the grass crop on
aid meadows was very light. The Z
plants were wiry and far apart, each
;rass root requiring a considerable ex-
ent Of feeding ground. This, too, was
N good soil 1t is evident that we
annot proftably grow grass after
srass for long years. There is too
much money in the grass crop to per-
nit of our ignoring it. If properly
reated most Of our meadows might
bout double their yields.
The grass crop is one that requires
title labor. 1t has many advantages
hat do not obtain with other crops. \
here is no danger Of winter-killing, I
Or grass is most hardy perennial.
g general thing there is no danger
rom insects. Occasionally we have
raid by grasshoppers, but this is too :
eldom to make it cause Of complaint.
'routh does not affect the grass crop
8 much as many other crops, for the
eason that it gets much of its growth 3
l the spring, when we usually get
ain. It's growth is completed before :
lie midsummer drouth, when in most
sctions it has long since been gathered q
ITO the barn. Agricultural science "a
ill yet have great deal to say about
lie grass crop.