Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-08-14
GRASS A SPECIALITY.

The several communications wnich
have appeared 10 the Farmer from Mr..
Geo. N. Clark on grass a. q special crop
forcibly illustrate matter 70 which the
writer has for years been calling the at
tention Of farmers. Intensive grass
culture here In the North has been TOO
much overlooked fn our farm practice.
Grass is the compensation given by
Nature to northern lstitudes AZ fitting
accompaniment 10 our short seasons and
snowclad fields. Here It is that II finds
its greatest thrift aud Its most sbua uadant
production. In our scramble after the
new, the novel, the wonderful, we seem
to have lost sight OF the Importance OF
this homely, common, old-fashioned
crop. Even the experiment stations
have lei it severely alone, and not one OF
them has attempted TO show the possi-
bilities Of this most important OF all the
crops suited TO our conditions. Mr..
Clark Is doing good service to New
England agriculture, and especially to
our Maine farming, by his Illustrations
OF what can be done with grass when
that Is made the chief object. We are
safe la the statement that no other kind
OF crop grown In New England the
present season will reach In actual stock
food production 10 the acre the amount,
or the value, Of which Mr.. Clark repr'
sents he has just harvested from his
fields Of grass.
Common practice does not make grass
a leading crop. The land Is mauured
for other crops leaving the grass to take
what is left and make what IL can out VI
it. OF course the possibilities OF the
crops never appear under that manage
ment. IL Is only when the full strength
OF the manure Is given TO the grass
alone that IL Is seen what the crop can
do. Mr. Clark's crops are an illustrs-
tioa.
Our attention has been further called
to an illustration Of this matter In
field OF grass cut recently by Mr.. l.. Z.
Bradford of Turner Centre. The land
was plowed, msnured and seeded to
grass alone In August, year ago. In
spite OF the protrscted drought OF last
fall, and In the face Of the fact that from
the first week In June this season up to
the time the grass WAS cut there was
scarcely any rainfall In that locality, yet
one OF the best fields Of grass ever grown
on the farm WAS the result. Unfort-
unstely the crop could not hsndily be
weighed, yet probably Il WAS full three
tons of hsy 10 the acre In the first crop.
rains following n second
crop this season will appear later on.
Another Androscoggin farmer in an
adjoining town has for two years been
scoring similar success with grass,
special crop under a like treatment.
Closely allied 10 the above illustrations
IL the experience OF Mr.. c. V. Knight,
also OF Turner Centre. Mr.. knight has
harvested one OF the best fields OF clover,
(snd the mixed grssses) grown In An
County this season from q
seeding 10 his corn at the time OF hoeing
last year. Mr.. Sylvsnus Adkins OF the |
same town met with n similar success |
under the same practice.
We do not wish IL understood that we |
claim that the common practice OF seed |
ing 10 grass and clover with grain IL al |
together bad, but instead refer TO these |
examples TO show something OF the |
Of grass As special crop, |
and also as an Illustration that heavy |
crops may be relied upon even under |
conditions when the fertili- |
zstion is directed 10 that end. No man |
has Ms vet measured the limit OF pro-
duclion OF grass AS special crop. While
studying the merits OF corn and other |
fodder crops let Us not overlook the fact |
that in grass, on much Of our New Eng
Ia nd soil, we have greater than them |
all.-Maine Farmer.