The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-04-18
AUSTRIAN sRoME aRAss..
Agricultural Experiment Station 10
sues q Bulletin on the subjectA

Agricultural Experiment Statton ~
sues q Bulletin on the subjectA
The seed of bronze grass 10 usually
sold by the hundred pounds rather
than by the bushel, but 1t generally
weighs about fourteen pounds per
bushel.
There is no sure way Of telling the
growing strength and consequec. yal-
ue of the seed except by counting out.
one, two or tire hundred of the seeds
and trying their sprouting and growing
strength in a shallow box Of sand or
in a germinator, which should be given
the temperature Of a common living
room. II the seeds seem chany and
poorly filed it is sufficient ground o
suspicion. ~
Good, strong, heavy wheat LAND
seems best adapted for bronze grass
but it does well in comparison with
other crops upon light land. Supt.
Mckay of the Assiriboia Experimental
station reports having had good sue
cess with it upon land sufficiently
alkaline to prevent wheat from a
ing a crop.
Land which is in good condition TOT
wheat Is we'll prepared for bronze
grass, and the seed Of 1t can be soWn
as early as the soil is in good condl-
ton, as 1t. is not sensitive to frost.
The station has spwn it with good re-
suits as late as August l upon land
which has been kept free from weeds
and upon which the moisture had been
preserved by frequent cultivation.
1t can be put in with an ordinary
drill by running the drill shallow and
by making a shaker or. agitator fo
cause the seed to- feed through tho
force feed arrangement of the drill.
An agitator consists of q strip OF
board with a spike driven through 1t
over each cup sin the drill. Fill the
drill box:half full of seed, remove tho
lid and have a boy sit astride the box
and move the agitAtor from end to end
of the box as the drill is driven through
the field. The agitator will cause the
seed to feed down even and regularly;
Bronze grass does not usually sucA4
coed with a nurse crop, but upon land
which is inclined to blow OF. drift a
light seeding Of oats, at the rate OF a
bushel of oats per acre, will prevent
undue drifting, and at the same time
it will not shade and rob the young,
bronze grass enough to shurt 1t badly.
Cut the oats for hay when the blcssorn.-
ing stage has passed.. as 1t ,fs during
the time of filling that small grain is
hardest upon the grass crop seeded.
with it. Bronze grass seeded alone
should have the weeds cut above It,
with the sickle bar set high as often
as the weeds shade it badly or threat.
en to ripen their seed.
Seed it at the rate Of fifteen pounds
per acre il it is put in for hay, and at
the rate of twenty or even twenty-five
pounds per acre II pasture is desired
at the earliest possible time. Bronze
grass will usually make no crop of hay
the first season and will furnish very
little pasture. 1t often looks likesR.
meager stand the first summer and
fall, but it viii thicken up in a surz,
prising way the second year and freG
quently a field Of bronze grass which
seems but half a stand the first year
will make a good crop the next sea
son.
Three distinct head appearances. In
color may be see in a field Of bronze
grass during the time following the
heading stage. At first the heads are
green, a little later they turn purple
in color-at which time, It is ready to
cut for hay-ands later the heads turn
brown. When It has changed about
two-thirds of the way from purple to
bvcwn 1t should be cut for seed, as the
seed will shell badly il It is allowed to
stand long after 1t has reached s1hs
stage of ripeness described above.
1t is cut for seed with the common
grain binder and the sheaves arc
placed in medium-sized shocks and
allowed to cure. 1t may be .threshed
with the ordinary grain separator by
using the oat scive and by shutting the
wind off to prevent blowing the light,
chaffy seed out with the straw:
Run the seed twice through q fan
ming mill and it will be ready for mar
ket. Bronze grass is a heavy yieldcr
of seed. the quantity ranging from $50
20 500 pounds per acre.
Bronze grass thickens up rapidly
and on that account q field PRODUCES
only about four crops of hay or three
successful crops Of seed before It be-
comes too badly sod-bound to be- ya1-
liable for any purpose aside from pas
turing. The length of time that 1t re-.
mains valuable for pasture seems
much greater, al fields Of 1t are found.
TO furnish good grazing when they arc
six and seven years old.
To destroy the sod cut the grass int
ample season for hay and break the
sod at nee In a shallow manner, ~.
az prairie sod is usually broken. Back.
set 1t late in the summer or very early
fall, as is the custom with prairie Sod
and 1t will be in good condition fora
wheat OF fax crop the next year.
-. II. Shepperd.
North Dakota Experiment Station
NORTH DAkorANa lNvRArs