The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-10-26

so many failures with grasses, yet tneFe
are other reasons as well and few of
these will be briefly mentioned. In the
first place we should know that the Crea-
tor in His wise provision for man made
first the soil for the growing of crops for
feed for man and beast and In the great
multitude of grasses there are varieties
which are suitable for all soils and elm
ates. This being true 1t first of all be-
hooves the farmer to select such varie-
ties as will best suit his soil and climate
and not spend time and good money in
trying to force varieties that are not at
all adapted to his section or conditions.
This can be determined in many cases
! only by actual experiments by each indi-
vidual farmer on his own farm. In fact
every farm in all our country should be
made an experimental farm. Such exs
perments need not necessarily be expen-
sive or conducted on a large scale. Only
small plots need be used. Is these If prop
erly managed will enable the farmer to
know for himself what grasses as well
as other plants are best suited for his
soils. With a full understanding of this
one of the great causes of failure with
grass will be removed.
Another common cause for failure In
attempting to grow grass is in the seed
bed preparation. Many farmers eem to
overlook the Importance of preparing n
seed are sown ON rough, dry. cloddy soils,
where IL the seed terminate at all the
young plants soon perish on becoming ex-
posed to our hot winds and sun. When
the farmer comes to know that all soils
for grass seed should first be plowed deep,
then kept narrowed and made fine as If
for a flower bed where the smallest tiny
seed are sown, another common cause of
failure will be removed.
Another quite common cause for failure
is that seed are often sown at the wrong
season of the year; sometimes they are
sown too early, then again too late. This
is a very common error and one which
must be remedied before we can succeed
in growing grasses. There are many sec
lions where the fall of the year is the
best for sowing; then again there are
other sections where one can succeed only
by spring sowings. These are matters
which again call for experimental work
and every farmer should by actual exper-
iments determine the season which will
enable him to succeed and SOW his crops
accordingly. When this Is fully under
stood another great difficulty will have
been removed.
REsULToF POOR SEED.
Failures, again, often come from poor
seed. This poor seed Is often palmed off
on the farmer, owing to the fact that he
is looking for something cheap. 1t is the
poorest economy that any GARNER can
practice to be looking for and buying
cheap seed. This Is true from the fact
that the first cost Of the seed is but
small item as compared with all the time,
labor and expense of preparing land for
seeding and then sowing worthless seed
which will not germinate or II they grow
at all the per cent Of termination Is so
small that no stand is secured and the
whole thing is a total loss. If only a par
al ata &c Wa vii
the start and choke out what plants there
are. Often this cheap seed contains a
large per cent of noxious weed seed and
as these are sure to grow, the farmer
often gets, instead of grass, a crop of
worthless weeds which may require years
OF hard work to eradicate from his soil
Another very important matter regard
ing the seed Is that only fresh or new
seed of many Of our clovers and grasses
should be used as seed over two years old
of some varieties are not safe to SOW
with the expectation of getting a good
stand. This will be more fully discussed
under the headings OF various varieties.
Therefore. the farmer who is buying seed
from doubtful sources had always better
make a test of the seed and ascertain
before sowing exactly what per cent Of
the seed Will terminate and then he may
govern his sowing accordingly In fact
1t may be well to test all seed before
planting rests can easily be made by
taking sheets of heavy wrapping paper
and covering one sheet Of the size re-
quired with thin sprinkle of fine sand:
then dampen the sand, either weigh or
count the seed to be tested, COW or place
them on the sand take another sheet Of
the same size and cover over and place
in warm space where there Is light
around the cook stove Is usually a good
place, or in some warm window. Keep
moist and IL tho Gaqd Vnnd in fat
days the sheet will be green with young
plants.
But there Is another point about this
test of seeds that should be carefully OBJ
served, and that is the fact that often
seed which may terminate under these
favorable conditions would not terminate
at all in the open field. Due allowance In
sowing the crop should be made for this
condition. We can usually allow for this
by observing the plants and noting the
per cent OF puny sprouts or spindlings
which Indicate that the seed will not ger