Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-09-10
PASTURE GRASSES.

Pasture and hay grasses are command
| ing interesting attention among the farm
ers in all sections of the country. l am
| constantly in receipt of letters inquiring
as to the best varieties of grasses for
grazing in winter and cutting for hay In
the spring. Many farmers want a COM
| binatiOn of grasses, some varieties of
which will be green in winter, while others
will spring into life in April and remain
| green all summer. This shows a trend of
| thoughts developing In the right direction
and along the right line. Several hundred
| head of young thoroughbred varieties of
beef cattle were sold to farmers in diff
| ferent sections of Georgia last year, and
| the question of better pasturage than that
usually found on the average farm is re-
| ceiving attention. First class, healthy
cattle cannot be profitably raised and
| herded on poor pasturage. The expert
nent has been too often> tried and failed
| to admit of any argument In raising
| beef cattle or any kind of stock something
| else is necessary than merely securing
grass or forage. Stock must not only
| have an abundance of grass but 1T must
be of the best quality of grass obtainable.
Quality rather than qauntlty must be the
controlling idea, and of all people the man
who is engaged in the cattle or stock bus
| mess should be the best posted on the rel
| alive merits of the various grasses COM
posing the pasturage on the farm. He
should know their relative feeding value
so that in the effort made to secure the
best results from their use he will cult
vate only such varieties as will pay for
the care and trouble. good hay or pas
| ture grass should not he too rank in its
| growth, because the stems are likely to
| soon become coarse and woody, rendering
| them largely unpalatable-and hard to di-
gest. The plant should have, if possible
a large proportion of leaves. which are al
| ways the most edible and easiest digesti-
BILE parts. Permanent meadows should
| consist of perennials. But few grasses
| fertilize the soils upon which they grow,
| therefore some legumious plant should be
mixed with the grasses. Where forage
crops alone are grown leguminous plants
should be used in preference to all others
Some Good Grasses.
Native grasses as a general rule are
| superior to all others, no matter how
highly. advertised the foreign varieties
may be. Those grasses which have thrived
| on southern soils for generations are
| thoroughly acclimatized. and many of
them are as nutritious as any which can
be imported from other countries. For
spring, summer and early fall grass,
nothing is superior for a first class per-
manent pasture than Bermuda. This grass
stands at the very top of all grasses in
the United States for nutriment and per-
lection from every standpoint of criticism.
| 1t will thrive and make perfect sod on
nearly every variety of soil in the south
| ern states.
Bermuda not only serves it's mission as
| a first class pasture grass for cattle,
horses. sheep and hogs but it makes
| hay easily cured and inferior to none
| other in this country. The vetches, both
| hairy and winter kinds, are also valua-
BILE for fall and winter grazing, extend
ing well into spring. Other good grasses
are Japan clover, fall oat grass, crabgrass,
lucerne or alfalfa, Florida beggar weed,
| orchard grass, burr clover, Texas blue
| grass, teosinte, alsike clover. red clover,
yellow lupine and cowpeas. These are va
| rieties of grasses and clovers from which
| any man may make good selection for
winter and summer growth for pasturage
or hay, to suit the section of country in
which he lives.
Preparing Pasture Lands.
The land upon which grasses are to be
/ sown for pasturage or hay should be Wen
| plowed a few days before sowing the seed,
and then harrow the top surface until
| the soil Is smooth and nicely pulveriZed.
| In a mixture of light and heavy seed,
| they should be sown separately, other
wise Ii will be impossible to secure an
| even distribution of the seed. The heavy
seed will be thrown farther, while the
L
! stand will be badly streaked and trregu-
| lar When seed are sown by hand II Is
always best to go over the ground twice
sowing one half the quantity one way
and returning over the land in opposite
| direction.
In covering seed a roller is preferable to
| a harrow, smoother or brush. If the seed
are quite small and sowed just previous
| to a rain, no covering is necessary. In
| our section of the country August ana
| September are the two months best suited
! I'm which to sow grasses or clovers IL the
| seed cannot be sown in the fall or the
wear on account of other growing crops
on the land. then plant in February or
March, so as to give the young plants
time to become firmly rooted before the
spring weeds or early hot weather comes
on with their deteriorating effects. 1t Is
rarely advisable to SOW grasses or clovers
with grain, though clovers sometimes DO
we'll with wheat or oats.
Application of Fertilizers.
There is no better fertilizer for hay or
pasture lands than stable manure or
Green cotton seed broadcasted and powed
| in when the land is broken. Such fer
| tilzer will last for or three years without
additional fertilization. OF course top
| dressing becomes necessary II the grass
shows failure from want of proper fertll-
itv in the soil. satisfactory crop of hay
cannot be grown on poor soils, neither can
a good pasture be maintained on land
which will not produce good crop Of
cotton and corn. Proper fertilization is
as necessary on hay and pasture lands as
elsewhere A flrst-class top dressing for
spring application can be made Of 90
pounds of potash per acre, which can be
secured in 400 pounds of KANT, 25O pounds
cotton hull ashes or 100 pounds of muriate
of potash put on broadcast by hand.
Where a little nitrogen is needed $50
pounds of cotton seed meal may be added.
It is a hopeful sign to note the interest
farmers are taking in this matter and II
foretells the time not distant in the future
when the south will once more take her
place among the principal cattle and
stock nroducing sections of the world.