Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-11-10

continued dr0uth or TINS season is ap-
parent 10 all. Ii is not often that such
a condition exists, and it is but the part
of common prudence to use every pos
sible means 10 bring back the available
fertility which has been destroyed. II
only the old fields were affected, the
matter would not be serious, but newly
seeded land appears to have suffered
with the old fields, making the question
of interest TO all.
In many cases plowing of the fields
will be necessary, in others applications
of some kind of fertilizer and light re-
seeding will do the work. At The
Pines five acres of land seeded TO grass
in the spring of 1905 has been top dress
ed since haying with barn manure, using
spresder. Nearly all the summer
made manure has been used in this way,
aud the prospects now show bright for a
good crop of hay next season. Eight
acres in oats this season, has been plow-
ed and is now being carefully worked
with disc and spike tooth, preparatory
to seeding again next spring. On this
piece, an application of about 100 bush
els of unleached ashes per acre will be
made at the time of seeding. This
practically covers all that is being done
TO renew the grass fields of the farm.
A larger acreage than usual will be
plowed for hoed crops, and In this way
we are hoping To place the land in far
better producing condition. In a
general way it may be said that an ap-
plication of ashes, possibly with little
phosphate fertilizer added, will do
much to stimulate the grass roots to
renewed activity, add available plant
food to the soil and unlock the stored up
plant food that has been made dormant
by the unfavOrable weather conditions.
II re-seeding is necessary, it will pay to
plow and harrow thoroughly, thereby
gaining in available plant food through
tillage. We are familiar with the say
ing that difficulties are but opportunities
to test our abilities, and | am looking
for bettering of farm practice through
the difficulties arising because of the
drouth.
We are turning our attention more
each year to the top dressing of grass
fields and the using of farm manure at
the time of seeding. As but little bed
ding, except sawdust, is used, and the
manure from the horses and cows is
thoroughly mixed, there is no difficulty
in doing this. OF course this method
calls for little larger use Of commercial
fertilizers for the hoed crops, but on
farms where short rotations are practic-
ed this is no disadvantage, because the
more rapid growth of these crops is
secured, and the effect of the larger
amount of fertilizer is seen in the grains
and grass following.
For the stock owner who desires to
both renew his fields quickly and in
crease his stock fodder, the corn plant,
vautsges. Fryeburg sweet corn growers
are unanimous in their opinion that
there is no better fertilizer to use broad
cast upon their corn fields than hard
wood ashes, from fifty to seventy-tive
bushels per acre appearing TO take the
place of a fair dressing of manure.
What better way can there be for those
stock owners with parched fields aud a
short hay crop, TO plant as large an
acreage of corn as possible next spring,
fertilized as suggested, and then seed
the land to grass in the corn? The
ashes will cost not more than fifteen
dollars per acre, and instead of the
parched, unsightly fields, they will have
a large crop of Americas greatest fod-
der plant, TO use as grain and rougbage,
and fields new and rich with promise
for the years to come.
Of course the labor problem comes in
here, and little personal experience
this season may not be out of place.
Last season we procured a two row,
check row, planter. With this machine
two rows are planted at time, and the
checking is perfect. This season, four
acres of heavy, clay-loam soil, badly In
tested with witch-grass was planted with
this machine, the writer doing prac-
tically all the work. Cultivation, all by
himself, was begun early, and continued
as long as possible, going in each direc-
a hand hoe for one hour, the field was
kept reasonably clean of witch grass,
with absolutely no weeds, and good
crop of corn secured. Can any one sug-
gest a crop of equal value that could
have been grown on that land with so
little hand labor? As the land is kept
level by the cross cultivation, we would
have seeded to grass in the corn except
that we are TO plant the same piece to
corn next season, at which time il will
be seeded.
We have. at this time; oat hay from
eight acres in our barn, which we are
feeding TO all our stock to excellent ad-
vantage, it having been cut young
enough to prevent any shattering of the
grain. As the raising of this oat hay
can be done with but little hand labor,
does it not offer promising source for
more feed? Land, not too badly run out,
can be put in condition for the crop this
fall, then with light application of
fertilizer, the oats can be sown early,
the land seeded to grass and renewed
field will result.
There may be fields that are fairly
fertile that can be restored by reseeding,
and lightly narrowing in the seed.
This should BE- done rs early in the
spring as possible, particularly il no
nurse crop, is sown. When seeding to
grass alone is practiced, the clipping of
weeds should not be neglected. A mow-
ing machine, set to run high does the
work nicely. prevents their seeding and
leaves the ground for the use of the
grass, alone.
OF course, these are but few Of the
many ways that can be adopted in re-
newing our grass fields.
To those who may wish to use chemi-
calls, | would recommend a careful read
ing of the bulletins from the Maine Ex-
pertinent Station, and the work of Prof.
Hurd on the top dressing of grass lands.
There can be no doubt but that these
lead to good results, but let us all not
forget the value of practical experience,
aud the benefits derived from tillage,
neither should We fail to realize the
value of roughage in our ration, and
that it may be wisdom where the pur-
chase of feeds is necessary to buy coarse
fodder, to take at least part Of the
place of high-priced purchased grains
1t may seem to the casual observer that
terrors are added to the short hay crop
by the high price of grain, but when we
look at the situation from every view
point, we may see that it is particularly
fortunate, because, in the efforts to re-
new our fields, the grain crop will not
be forgotten and our animals will not
again be subjected to severe pinching in
the amount of roughage feed, which is
very detrimental, particularly to the
young.-B. Walker McKeen, The Pines,
Oxford County, in Maine Farmer.
In late autumn make surface bitches
or cuts To catch winters surface waters