The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1904-11-17
GREAT GRASS GROWING.
The secret Of Enormous Yields Of
Hwy Told by &. VI. Clarke

me secret OF Enormous teIdH OF
HnS Told by &. VI. Clarke.
Ny sixteen acre bayfield, was orig
finally part Of pasture. 1t would not
produce feed enough fer one COW
There were thousauGs of tons of rocks
upon tie field, many Of which were SO
large that they had To he blasted be
fore they could be removed. over LOCO
tons To the acre We're removed into
nearby bitches These We're dug nine
feet wide and seven feet deep. They
were filed in with rocks six feet deep,
then covered with earth twelve inches
deep. There were over 200 rods in the
field of these bitches. When the dry
season came the growth of grass VAS
cut off. This was one mistake | made
in clearing this field. 1t would have
been better TO have made pyramid Of
these rocks. thus saving land. 1t would
have cost less money and made much
more perfect subsoil water connection.
II | had made pyramid the field
would have been worth $1,000 more.
\ Perfect Grade.
The soil on the entire field, If it
might be called soil at all. was very
thin, and removing the rocks made il
impossible to give the surface soil any
attention. so that when the grading
was completed the original soil WAS
in the bottom of the rock pit hole.
Thus | had to deal with the subsoil II
make new compound for tie surface
soil.
Bear in mind that every part Of the
field WAS graded in such Il manner that
no water could stand upon it, and
wish to say here that there are very
few fields that require any underdrain-
ing whatever. When perfect grade Is
made, as 1t was in this case, the entire
field, whether in the bottom Of the val
legs or otherwise will produce a good
stand of grass, and when the grade Is
thus made the mower never cuts OF
gouges into the earth. 1t always cuts
the grass at uniform height usually
about one and Il quarter inches above
the surface.
Kind of Seed.
In the matter of grass seed l have
tried many kinds and have come to the
conclusion that timothy and redtop
are the best. They grow we'll togeth-
err and ripen ut the same time. When
these two grasses are soWn together
they produce one to one and half
tons more hay to the acre. | use no
yard or coarse manure. should II
had it, but should always use it be-
fore seeding and commercial fertilizer
thereafter. In my experience | have
found fertilizers made out of bone,
muriate of potash and nitrate Of soda
in proper proportion would not only
maintain the fertility of the soil with
the right amount but would increase
its product.
| first used 800 pounds Of a com
pound made of one-half bone and one
half muriate Of potash ut the time OF
seeding, Sept. |, and thereafter every
year. Have used for the first crop
compound Of One-third bone onc-thlrd
muriate of potash and one third nitrate
Of soda. Five hundred pounds Of this
compound per acre in the spring for
the first crop and half as much more
for the second crop every year were
used. | always fertilize every crop,
800 pounds first and 80 pounds the
second crop | use fourteen pounds
of timothy seed and fourteen pounds
of redeemed redtop seed to every acre
The fertilizer costs not far from Sl0
per ton. and in my experience | have
found that the total cost of fertilizer
has been less than 50 per ton Of hay.
Little Reseeding.
NV field has to be reseeded occasion
ally, but with reasonable care will last
FIVE to fifteen years before it requires
new seeding Much depends upon the
care given. | never pasture my grass
field nor allow an animal to stand OF
stamp on it or in any way destroy any
Of the stand
| cut my grass last time just before
frost. cutting it off as close as posi-
Ole, and rake the field clean, leaving 1t
bare for winter. With this method the
grass never winter kills. In other
words, give my grass the first, best.
last and all the chance TINT is possible.
| first cultivate the field intensely and
have made machinery expressly to do
work quickly and cheaply. One ma