The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-06-01

Seeding Lawns and Permanent PastureA
Press Bulletin 220 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-
tablished 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-harrowing I'M
til in the condition of a 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 4
to 6 per cent Of nitrogen. 8 to 10 per
cent phosphoric acid and 6 to 8 per
cent potash, and should be used at the
vate of 600 to 800 pounds per acre.
A mixture of equal weights of Ken
lucky blue grass and red top, with q
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 be
rolled as part of the preparation TOR
sowing, but the finishing touch should
always be given with a smoothing har-
row, or other t~ne-toothed harrow, as
this leaves the surface in such condi-
ton as not to be so liable to be injuri-
ously packed by rain as II 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 q better succession
through the season. while the blue
grass is better adapted to the dryer
and the red top to the moister por-
tons of the land. The clover Is not
only useful in thickening the sod, but
by its ability to gather nitrogen 1t
assists the growth of grasses with
which it is sown.
For permanent pastures no better
grasses have been found 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 SEQ.
ond year it will be chiefly timothy,
and after that the timothy will grad
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 q
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 q bushel to a
bushel to the acre of mixed blue grass
and red top. the whole narrowed in
together, will make o fair seeding. In
the case of pastures, as we'll as of
lawns, the land should be MANFRED
or fertilized If not already rich, and
here manure is the better material, II
It can be obtained.
All old pastures OF lawns should
have an occasional dressing of manure
or fertilizer. 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 q
dressing of air Stacked lime, at the
rate Of a bushel to the square rod,
work 1t into the surface with a sharp
harrow, and after a few weeks re-seed
al for q new lawn. .
Use Of Crude Petroleum In Orchards.
The varying and sometimes disas-
trous results obtained from the use OF
refined petroleum, on growing trees, as
an insecticide. and especially against
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