Milford chronicle., 1906-02-16
Timothy.

and recently published in the New
York tribune Farmer.
He speaks first Of the importance
of the grass crop in that State. Hs
says: fAbout one-half of all the
tillable land is in grass, and that OF
the various kinds of seed sown for
hay, timothy is by far the most ex-
tensively sown and important. The
estimated value of the grass crop to
farmers in the State in 1900 was
SIS, ,eo5, 542. The average yield per
acre in the State was about ton,
while on the Cornell University farm
it was from one and three-quarters
to four and one-half tons an acre.
He says that while there are hun
dreds Of varieties of wheat, corn,
potatoes, apples, etc, mo varieties
oftimothy are known to commerce.
In 1908 samples of timothy seed
were obtained from many New York
farmers, and from various places
throughout the world, "the object
being to see whether any marked
variation in timothy existed, and, if {
so, to perpetuate types of varieties
suited to different conditions, and
in addition to ascertain the influence
of different rates Of seeding, the in
fiuence of large and small seed, and
other factors" i" S
Fifty seeds were taken from each t
sample, and planted single in small 4
flower pots in the greenhouse, and a
kept separate from other samples.
When from four to six weeks old,
each plant was set singly in the field Il
in rows thirty inches apart each way. P
In all eleven acres were set with II
over 10, 900 individual plants. 6.
This field was kept thoroughly
clean during the season. With the "
very best care and attention, nearly 1
died the first year. While W
in no case did all the plants survive, in
there was a remarkable difference .,
ia the mortality of plants of different .,
samples. "
He says: Among the plants al
which have survived great variation IN
n vigor and stooling power is no.
icable; some are feeble and have r
ent up four or FIVE stools, while
'thers have sent out two hundred -
iome plants matured one hundred
eads when nine months old, while
'thers have not yet sent up a single r
lead and some have given little -
ay, whileothers have yielded we'll"
Timothy has long been to me an
ieal crop for Delaware. Although " o
hirty-tve years ago,-when I be-
anne Delawarean, no fields of n
mothy could be seen in this part ny
the State, yet here and there sin uu
le plants in clover fields, showed
ow well it would grow if given the Oesi
From apparently a
ngle seed, there were from so to
% stools, with heads six to eight
ches long. Since then, experience
i'd observation have shown conclu-
vely that the soil and climate of H
wer Delaware is admirably suited
this plant, and that as large yields
a be obtained as in the famous
ass States of the North.
AS nearly half of the tillable land -
my farm was in peaches when
ught, and as it was my purpose Rams
make fruit growing a speciality,
t little grass was grown the first
ars.
In 1886, l sowed a measured acre
h oats, and seeded it with timothy P. s.
clover. The oats were cut green -
hay. In August a good load of
yer was cut. The next year two
tings were made-mostly clover.
1888, two cuttings were also
de, the hay being about equal
IS of timothy and clover. There
II, for several years, but one cut
: was made, and, with one ex-
tion, the annual yield was from Losr
ee to four large loads of1stquality =,
othy hay. In the excepted year Sa''
n account of drouth-the weld Due
only two loads, which were Euyn
|, Weighing $500 pounds. Judg-
from this, the average annual
d Of the other six years was
rly three tons. This plot was
fertile condition when seeded,
thereafter 10 loads of harvard
lure were spread broadcast everv
sr year. No fertilizers of any
4 were used. Many larger plots
e been seeded since, on equally
good land, and given as good
!, yet in no case has the Weld
] nearly equal to that.
fter reading the article from Bodi
ch have quoted, it seems clear
the fault might have been in
cead The same or,1o,1,,t ofl