The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-01-08
PASTURE GRASSES.

Vi RTdsSesi lOI SiaLiuS III "ihIcl ohu
cutting fdr hay in the spring Many
farmers Want u combination of grass
es some varieties of which will be
green in, winter, while others will
spring into life in April and remain
green all bummer. This shows trend
of thoughts developing in the right
direction and along the right line.
Several Hundred head of young thor
oughbIxd varieties Of beef cattle were
sold tsfarmers in different sections of
GeorGia last year and the question of
better pasturage than that usually
found on the average farm is receiving
attention. First class healthy cattle
cau1ot be proftably raised and herded
on poor pa turage. The experiment
ha, been too often tried and failed to
admit of any argument. In raising
beet cattle or any kind of stock some
thiffg else is necessary than merely
securing grass or forage. Stock must
not ouly kave an abundance Of grass,
but it must be of the best quality OF
grass. obtainable. Quality rather than
Quantity must be the controlling idea,
aud of all people the man who is ell
gagged in the cattle orstock business
should he the best posted on the rel
ative merits of grasses composing the
pasturase on the farm. He should
know their relative feeding valu-. so
that in jhe effort made to secure the
best results from their use he will culti-
vate onlA A,such varieties as will pay for
the careEnd trouble. A good hay or
pasture Iiass should not be too rank
in its gH,wth, because the stems arr
hkely dl soon become coarse and
woody ,rd adering them largely unpala-
table alI hard to digest. Tue plant
should lave, if possible, large pro-
portionlIOf leaves. which are always
the mo-, edible and easiest digestible
parts. lermanent meadows should
consist perennials. But few grasses
fertilize the soils upon which they
grow, tt refore some, legumious plant
should mixed with grasses. Where
forage c los alone are grown legumln-
Gus plar should be used in preference
10 all oti rs.
,bME GOOD GRASSES.
Native rasses as general rule are
superior all others, no matter how
highly ertised the foreign varieties
NAV lie. RThose grasses which have
thrived southern soils for genera
tions are oroughly acclimatized, and
many { them are as nutritious
IS any Ihich can be imported
from olke countries. For spring,
summer md early fall grass.
nothing Is superior for a first class
permanent lpasture than Bermuda.
The grass 81 nds at the very top OF all
grasses in IL United States for nutri-
ment and pc lection from every stand,
point of crit eism. 1t will thrive and
make perfe sod OH nearly evrey va
riety of soul the Southern states.
Bermuda nj ] only serves its mission
as a first class pasture grass for cattle,
horses, sheep nd hogs, but it makes
4 hay easily cd led and inferior to none
other in this kountry. The vetches,
both hairy am Wiater kinds, are also
valuable for and winter grazing,
extending w III into spring. Other
good grasses Are Japan clover, fall oat
grass, crabgrass, lucerne or alfalfa,
f orida beggar weed, orchard grass,
burr cloYer. Texas bluegrass, ,teoslnte.
alsike e. fver, red clover, yellow lupine
dSs 1
yrassest kd clovers from which any
man n make good selection for
winter ar summer growth for past
urage or by, to suit the section of
country i which he lives.
PREF ENG PASTURE LANDS.
The lar upon which grasses are to-
be sown pasturage or hay should
be we'll p Jed few days before SOW
ing the sell and the har, ow the top
surfice u li the soil is smooth and
nicely pukekized. In mixture of light
and heavy iced, they should be sown
separately, q sr~ Use will BE- impossible
10 secure al ven distribution Of the
seed. TXNavy seed wi be thrown
farther. wAt lie the lighter ones will
fall near tkv, and the stand wi be
badly stfsHH 4 Jed and irregular. When
Seed are ,stEn by hand it is always
best to 20 q er the ground twice, SOW
ing one ha the quantity one way and
returning over the land in opposite
direction
In covering seed roller is preferable
to a harrow, smoother or brush. II
The seed are quite small and sowed
just previous to rain, no covering ir
necessary. In our section Of the coun-
try August and September are the two
rhoL lis best suited in which to SOW
grasses or clover. If the seed cannot
be sown in the fall of the year on
account of OF her growing crops on the
land, then plant in February or
March, so as to give the young plants
time to beconhe firmly rooted before
the sping weeds or early hot weather
comes on with their deteriorating
effects. 1t is rarely advisable to SOW
grasses or cloNers with grain, though
clovers sometimes do well 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
ploWed in when the land is broken.
Such fertilizer will last for two or
three years without additional ferti-
lization. Of course topdressing be-
comes ne4essary if the grass shows
failure froAn want of proper fertility
in the soil.t A satisfactory crop ofhay
cannot be grown on poor soils, Meth:
er can a gdod pasture be maintained
on land Which will not produce a
good crop bf cotton and corn. Proper
fertilization is as necessary on hay
and pastuike lands as elsewhere. A
first-class top dressing for spring
applications Cal be made of 80 pounds
of potash pr acre, which can be