Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-09-26
Hay and Pasture Grass.


article of food for live stock on the
farm, and grass is said to be the
foundation of farming" The grass
crop may not be as valuable as corn,
but it is an article of food for which
no substitute can be found, as it gives
bulk and quality to the rations. both
in the green condition and when
cured as hay. There are many excel
lent and nutritious grasses known,
and which can be used by the farmer,
but he confines himself to but two or
three. Glover and timothy are the
grasses mostly used for hay Glover
not really belonging to the grass fam
ily), and with all that may be said
in its favor there are many grasses
superior to timothy. Custom. however
has given timothy prominent place
on the farm, and which it will hold
for long time. But although TIM
otny and clover are grown on the
same land, as a mixed crop, yet they
do not ripen together, and are conse.
Quently not suitable for each other
and for producing mixed hay of the
highest quality, for if the clover be-
comes too ripe it will contain large
proportion of woody fibre, while If
the clover is cut before the timothy
is ripe the latter will not be as nu
tritious as when fully matured. Or
chard grass, which is disliked by
many because it stools" comes into
blossom at the same time as clover
and will grow on light or heavy soil.
It will also stand drought better than
timothy and will give successive cut
tings. Timothy is also low in nutri-
tious matter compared with some
grasses, and it's place can be filed
by some other grasses without risk of
loss
Pasture grass should be for pas
jure only, and not for moving for
hay. If pasture can supply the
stock in summer it should not be re-
CURED to do more. Another reason
why the hay crop should be separate
from the pasture product is that the
pasture should contain as many va
rieties of grass as possible, some of
the best kinds not being profitable if
moved. as they do not grow to suH-
cient height for being cured as hay.
Pasture grass should he short, be-
cause the animals will prefer it so. as
they can then better select the kinds
prepared. The young and tender
grass, that is but few inches high, is
always more highly relished than any
other, and if pasture is to be occu-
pied by the stock they will keep the
grass down. No farmer. therefore.
should expect crop of hay from his
pasture land. The meadow is also de-
pended upon for producing the hay
crop, but the meadow is also given up
to the animals at times. The point
is not to take advantage of the
meadow, but to make it better, by i'll
creasing the variety of grasses. A va
riety having some fault should not
be condemned if it also has merit.
Orchard grass comes early in spring,
it will remain for several years, and
it thrives where some grasses should
not exist. Herds grass is excellent
on meadow land that is somewhat
moist, its running roots soon forming
thick and permanent sod. Blue
grass can be made to thrive on
great many soils. but prefers lime
stone land, and it is a grass that gives
the best late pasturage, but it should
not be grazed too closely early in the
season. Adapt the grasses to the soil
if possible.
There are a great many kinds of
hay crops that need not be mixed i'll
the fields, as they can be mixed IN
the feed box when cutting the feed for
stock in winter. Glover is the main
hay crop. but such crop as Hunga-
rian grass. which grows in the sum-
mer. and in a short time, will ado
largely to the supply of hay. and cX'
perments made show that COW peas
and oats, cut when not too ripe, Will
give good yields of hay that may per-
haps be better than clover in some
respects. One of the most valuable
crops, in proportion to cost is COW
peas and corn. Plant the corn in
rows and plant the COW peas in the
same rows, but between the corn hills,
the corn being one foot apart in the
roows. Cultivate one way, and allow
the pea vines to grow upon the corn.
II may be mentioned that 1t is not too
late now to grow such mixed crop.
as it may be harvested at any time.
1t adds variety of ensilage and the
ensilage will be more nutritious and
also more highly relished by stock in
winter than if the ensilage is made ex-
clusively of corn. But the farmer
should study grasses and hay crops,
for there are kinds that thrive on rich
soils only, while others will grow on
sandy soils, damp soils, medium soils,
etc, and if they cannot be grown to-
gether they can be grown on different
fields. The greater the variety the
less the liability of loss during dry
seasons, as some hay crops will give
good results when others fail under
tie same conditions s.-Philadelphia
Rccord.
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