Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-09-17
Around the Farm.


Late summer is good time to clean
up about the farm. During the busy
season weeds. sprouts and other I'M
desrabl growth have sprung up in
lots. pastures and along fence rows.
Now there is leisure time for extra
work In places where the ground is
free from stumps and grubs the NOW
ing machine is the best tool for cut
ting down this growth. If the ground
is clean enough for the machine to
run, more can be cut with a team and
mower in one day than can be cut in
q week with moving scythe and ak. II
is a good thing to run over the perma-
nent pasture with the mower at this
time to cut off the big weeds before
they go To seed. If cut now, many OF
these weeds viii never appear again,
and good grass will come up TO take
their places. Annual and biennial
weeds may be killed out by cutting
them off every year, and not allowing
any seed to form. Perennial weeds
must be dug out by the roots to be
killed. Sprouts and brush will grad
ually give up the struggle and die
out if they are cut two or three times
every wear for a few years. These
brushy patches make excellent pasture
land when the brush has been perma-
nenfly killed. The roots of the rank
growth decomposing in the ground
make the soil fertile and retentive Of
moisture.
For early fall seeding of timothy.
rye. wheat or other. grass or gram
crops. it is we'll to have the ground
Moved several weeks ahead Of time
and allow it to settle well before work.
ing down and seeding. All grasses and
grains REQUIRE a firm and even seeding
he'd for good termination and early
growth. The reason of SO many 1dii-
,lres and partial failures with these
crops is that the ground is not made
f,ne and compact before the seed is
sown. Those WHO have best success
with these crops harrow and otherwise
work the plowed soil till Ii is fine ana
CONNECT throughout, fine and loose on
the surface and as smooth as floor.
GOOD rule is to give the ground
| ohout two good sharrowings after the
ordinary farmer considers il ready for
seeding. With dry ground and some
clods. a heavy rolling viii crush the
clods and make fine soil of them. III
must be remembered that the small
| grains and grasses are small seed III
| every small seed is expected to germi-
nate and the Young roots to go down
| And take hold of moist soil for sturdy
| growth before cold weather, then every
| seed must he surrounded with SOIL as
fine as dust for good moisture con-
| tact. There is no danger by frequent
and heavy working of compactlng lhe
| soil too heavily in dry state. :,
| !, Meadows to be started in the fail
| should be ready for seeding Just as
/ soon as the intense hot weather OF
/ Aue,lst is over. When the ground is
! fine and in good fix for SEEDING see
.be seed into the soil as quickly as
| ,,ossible. If not enough moisture seems
| ~ he present in the soil for germiiiat-
/ ing the seed, go over the field with d
| roIIer after the seed has been soWH,
| and repeat the rolling If dry weather
| continues. The object in early iaii
| seeding of these crops is to secure
| daen root growth before freezihs
| weather. Where rye is sown the last
,,aa,,.. IL summer or the first weeks
of autumn. in central ATTITUDES under
1 favorable conditions, GOOD 'op
Growth will be made for fall ana carry
| winter pasture, and the rye VIII pc
strong for early growth the Following
sprng for pasture, soiling or TO De
| turned under for green manuring- In
Southern ATTITUDES, rye will make a
| good start by seeding late in Septem-
| har ar october. 1t never pays to al
| low a field to lie bare all fall. winter