Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-06-08
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AC CRICULTURISTS
Some Cp-to-Dste Hints About CuItiv.-
tion OF the Soil and Yields Thereof
Horticuiture. xiticulturs aud FIorlcul-
ture.


Press Bulletin 22O of the Ohio Ex-
pertinent Station says: Many inquiries
are received at the Ohio Experiment
Station for information respecting the
best grasses for lawns and permanent
pastures and for instructions in seed
ing The station has successfully es-
tabhshed several lawns by the follow
ing method: AS soon as the ground
is dry enough to work in the spring 1T
is plowed and thoroughly pulverized
by narrowing and cross narrowing un-
til in the condition of garden. I'm
less the soil is very rich it should be
made SO, either by the liberal use of
manure or of a complete fertilizer, the
latter being preferable because of the
seeds of weeds and coarse grasses usu-
ally carried in manure. For lawn
purposes the fertilizer should carry
to per cent OF nitrogen, to 10 per
cent phosphoric acid and to per
cent potash, and should be used at the
rates of 600 to 500 pounds per acre
A mixture of equal weights of Ken
lucky blue grass and red top, with
pound of white clover seed to a. bushel
of the mixture, is then sown broadcast,
at the rate of two or more bushels per
acre of the mixed seed, and narrowed
in with a fine toothed harrow Ii the
ground should be very dry it may De
rolled as part of the preparation for
sowing, but the finishing touch should
always be given with a smoothing mar
row, or other flne-toothed harrow, as
this leaves the surface in such cond1-
tion as not to be so liable to be injuri-
OuSly packed by rain as If finished
with the roller.
The reason for mixing the Kentucky
blue grass with red top is that the
two grasses mature at different sea-
sons, the red top reaching maturity
some weeks later than the blue grass,
thus keeping up a better succession
through the season, while the blue
grass is better adapted to the dryer
and the red top to the moister por-
tions of the land. The clover is not
only useful in thickening the sod, but
by it's ability to gather nitrogen 1t
assists the growth of grasses with
which it is sown.
For permanent pastures no better
grasses have been fo6nd by the Ohio
station than the varieties above rec
commended for lawns. Sown together
they give a succession throughout the
season and adapt themselves to differ
ences in soil, thus giving much better
results than if either be sown alone
The seed OF these grasses is relatively
expensive, however, and it is more eco
nomical to reduce the quantity of seed
of these varieties and substitute a
moderate quantity of red clover and
timothy seed. The first year after
seeding the crop may be chiefly clover,
and should be mown for hay. The sec
ond year it will be chiefly timothy,
n
ually disappear and the pasture grasses
take its place. By this method of
seeding not only will the first cost be
reduced, but the clover will serve a
most useful purpose in preparing the
way for the grasses which are to fol-
low A mixture of equal weights of
clover and timothy, sown at the rate
of a bushel to six or eight acres, and
cross-sown with half bushel to a
bushel to the acre of mixed blue grass
and red top, the whole narrowed in
together, will make fair seeding. In
the case of pastures, as well as of
lawns, the land should be manured
or fertillzed if not already rich, and
here manure is the better material, if
it can be obtained.
All old pastures or lawns should
have an occasional dressing of manure
or fert1llZer- The object lessons IN
the scattered cattle droppings on the
pastures demonstrate this point eff
fectively Such treatment will often
thicken up the grass in an old lawn
without re-seeding, but if bare spots
have made their appearance it will
sometimes assist matters to apply a
dressing of air Stacked lime, at the
rate of a bushel to the square rod,
work it into the surface with a sharp
harrow. and after a few weeks re-seed
as for a new lawn.