The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-14
HISTORY OF TWENTY ACRES
OF BRONZE GRASS.

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To The Breeders Gazette: In the
tall Of 1908 wrote an article giving
the history of a 20-acre field of bronze
grass during the first three years of
its existence. The article appeared
first in The Gazette, but it was widely
copied by the agricultural press SO
that the history of that field was
known from ocean to ocean. Owing
70 the interest which this new grass
has awakened among agriculturists
And owing to its splendid adaptability
Tor wide section of our North Ameri-
can continent extending from Indian
Head 70 Texas. have decided to
give history of this same field for
the next three years bringing 1t up to
tie present time. l have kept care
ful account of the way this field has
been treated and also of the expendi-
tures placed upon it and of the in
come.
It will be remembered by those who
read the first article that this field Is
on upland prairie rather high and dry
with water no nearer the surface than
about 40 feet. Also this field had
1een subjected to a systematic rob-
bling of soil fertility for quarter Of
a century before 1t came into my
possession. 1t had been wheated and
grained year after year with no return
until its maximum producing capacity
was 10 bushels of wheat per acre, at
which figure it had ceased TO be
profitable, hence the low price at
which bought 1t in. have shown In
The former article that seeded down to
prone grass this field had Immediate
ybecome a producer and that the
and had paid for itself three times
over in the three-year period covered
" that article.
I expected that the field would yield
air returns the fourth year without
.urther expense to me but | had also
expected that it would become sod
,ound" so that should have to pillow
up or convert it into pasture there
lfter But it so fell out that / COM
nenced to stock my farm with sheep
he fourth year, SO l fenced in about
o acres of the field and that part of
has been doing good service ever
tnce. Unfortunately 1t is not easy
o keep account Of receipts and eX-
,enditures on pasture land, SO must
ontent myself by stating that in
General that portion has been carrying
bDut twice as. much stock as neigh
oFing, prairie SOD, But in the case
fithe remaining 10 acres l have some
seful and interefting data at hand.
allowed this part of the field to seed
he fourth year aid estimated the
ield of seed at u bushels per acre.
'E this y am not sure. for soon after
y; was IN the Nshbck a terrific hail
trm swept my farm as with a
esom. Corn. wheat, oats. and every
hing except my bronze grass, sheep
nd pigs was completely destroyed.
estimate that half of the bronze grass
va was sshelIed> cut At any rate I
lreshed out only S bushels of seed
Or acre and cut / ton and half of
~ per acre, Owing to the destruc-
We effects OF the storm hay went to
10 per ton that year.
I debated long in my own mind
lout what to do with that 10 acres
I. bronze grass the fifth year. But
se. truth Of the matter was l needed
~ badly and had noticed wherever
Fses had left the droppings upon
q field while making hay and secur-
g the crop that punches of grass of
uprising vigor and of remarkable
eenness. had appeared. This set
9 to thinking that perhaps the pre-
lent "sod-bouhd' theory for the
creased production of old bronze