The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-04

Philadelphia Record.
Grass may be seeded both in the fall and
in the spring. much depending upon cir
cumstances. Hay is perhaps the most i'm
portant 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, both in the green condition
and when cured as hay. There are many
excellent 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 family and with all that may
be said in it's favor there are many grasses
superior to timothy. Custom, however, mas
given timothy a prominent place on the
farm, and which IL will hold for long
time. But, although timothy and clover
are grown on the same land, as mixed
crop yet they do not ripen together, and
are consequently not suitable for each
other and for producing mixed hay or the
highest quality, for If the clover becomes
TOO ripe IL will contain large proportion
OF woody fiber, while If the clover is cut
before the timothy is ripe the latter Will
not no. be as nutritious as when fully ma ma,
tured. Orchard grass, which is disliked
by many because IL stools. comes into
blossom the same time as clover, and will
also stand drought better than timothy.
and Will give successive cuttings. Timothy
is also low in nutritious matter compared
with some kinds without risk of loss.
Pasture grass should be used for pasture
only, and not for moving for hay. liz
pasture can supply the stock in summer it
should not be required to do more. An
other reason why the hay crop should be
separate from the pasture product is that
ties OF grass as possible, some of the best
kinds being profitable If grazed, as they
90 not grow TO SUFFICIENT height for being
short because the animals will prefer Ii
SO, as they can then better select the kinds
prepared: The young and tender grass.
only few inches high, is always more
highly relished than any other, and If
pasture is to be occupied by the stock they
Will keep the grass down. No farmer,
therefore. should expect a crop of hay from
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 increasing the variety Of grasses.
| A variety having some fault should not be
condemned III 1T also has merit Orchard
| grass comes early in spring, Ii will remain
| for several years, and it thrives where
| some grasses could not exist. Herds grass
| is excellent on meadow land that is some
what moist. Its running roots soon form
| thick and permanent sod. Blue grass can
| be made to thrive on many Soils preferring
| limestone land, and il is a grass that gives
| the pest late out IL sHOuiu hot
| be grazed too closely early in the season
! Adapt the grasses TO the soil if possible.
There are n great many kinds of hay
/ crops that need not be grown together in
! 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 Hungarian grass, which
| grows in the summer, and In a short time,
| will add largely to the supply of hay, and
| experiments made show that cow peas and
| oats, cut when not too ripe, will give good
| yields of hay that may perhaps be better
| than clover in some respects Cine 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 i'm the rows. Guilt
vate one way and allow the pea vines TO
grow upon the corn. 1t may be mentioned
/ that such a mixed crop may be harvested
| at any time. 1t adds variety to ensilage
| and the ensilage will be more nutritious
/ and also more highly relished by stock in
winter than If the ensiage 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
| ferent fields. The greater the variety the
| less the liability of loss during the dry
season. as some hay crops will give good
results while others fail under the same
| conditions