Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-02

poking and narrowing in seed after 1t has
been sown broadcast upon the plowed land.
Bronze grass makes very little growth the
first year and anyone who Is not familiar
with its habits will be discouraged with
the prospects for a stand for the first year
after 1t is sown. At the end Of that time,
however, 1t begins to thicken UP with won
derful rapidity. It spreads by means Of
runners, as does blue grass, and If a stand
is obtained in any OF these pockets It will
work its way outward in every direction
and spread as long as there is SUFFICIENT
moisture In the soil for It to maintain ex-
i~stence. Good bronze grass seed is difhcult
to obtain, and before purchasing, It is we'll
to secure a sample and test 1t between moist
pieces Of filter paper kept In q room hav-
ing a fairly uniform temperature. as for
instance In the Kitchen. Seeding at the
rate Of sixteen pounds to the acre should
be suflcient in case the seed is good.
Diskink Meadow B~ensacial.
ION some Of the low, heavy lan where
the surface varies from a few Inches to
two or three feet above water, timothy
would doubtless add something to the value
Of the native grasses for hay. Soils so
close to water as this draw up moisture
from below and only in occasional years
would there be a suficient shortage to In
terfere with the growth Of timothy. A
stand Of timothy secured by disking the
native meadows and narrowing In timothy
seed would add considerably to the produc-
tiveness Of the meadow in good years and
be the cause Of practically no loss In bad
ones. The act OF disking the meadow land
is in itself beneficial.
o lands that are occasionally over
flowed and where a forage plant that viii
stand being occasionally submerged II
water is desired, alsike clover and red tor
are the seeds to use. These may be put IN
by disking the land quite thoroughly and
narrowing In.
There is one phase Of pasture ant
meadow Improvement Of which l wish Il
speak before closing. This is the necessity
of allowing and aiding the improvement
Of the native grasses as they hnd them. /
is applicable to both meadow and pasture
land, but particularly to the latter. as 1t a
range land that is most apt to be injuret
from excessive pasturing and neglect. Nos
Of the native grasses while not dependen
for their existence upon being permitted L
seed themselves each year, are wSskenel
and nnally destroyed when not allowed Il
reproduce at all by seeding. and this 1
very frequently the case on pasture land.
Resting the Land Necessary.
Gas overstocking has been one Of the chic
causes Of deterioration 1t is reasonable /
suppose that resting the land would b.
a natural way to restore the stand o
grasses. Such Is the case whenever sum
cient grass Is present to reseed the land
II is, however, not as economical q metho
as alternating pastures. That Is, restin
them during different seasons OF the year
Such a system necessltates fencing the land
1t contemplates dividing the range int
a number OF pastures provided with watei
in each Of which cattle are allowed to ru
for not more than two or three months a
a time and are then transferred to anothei
The succession Of grasses that normal
, occurs in the prairie pasture is in thI
way Allowed to bring about a renewal {
the different species.
! "Other methods OF treatment such as disk
8 ing in early spring TO loosen the soil an
9 thus promote growth OF grasses as well 9
8 to prevent evaporation OF moisture, an
a moving pastures TO keep down weeds
promote their reproduction are worthy {
Q trial.
with the proper attention to plantin
a forage crops suited TO this region and I
e the care of native grasses l see no reaso
y why the amount Of forage produced. Q
, At least some Of the land In this Vtctnit