The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-05-19
The Importance Of Permanent Pastures
tY GEO. ". KoINER. Commissioner of Agriculture OF virginl

If more live stock were kept IN
virginia. II would De Better Tor the
STATE, BY this method OF farming. a
perY large Nef cent of the fertility
OF the land is left on the farm, but
before much 4eEe Are stock ear Ire
profitably kept. more attention must
be given TO h question to making
sods and maintaining them. In many
sections Of the STATE little or no
grass seed is ever sown. Conse-
~auentis there Is but little pasture. II
has been proven that in most sec
tons OF the State nearly all The
grasses and all ~the ~ciovera can .ba
grown. 1t is also we'll known that
corn can be produced In every sec
ton of the State. bur nobody expects
Il, grew 1t without Planting tire seed,
neither should any farmer expect to
get a sod without sowing grass seed.
The four essentials to the growing OF
grass are drainage, organic matter in
the SOIL. available plant food and
plenty Of seed. in sorne instances,
lime may be needed.
The first requisite is, an important
one. No crops will do well in wet
SREAS anu LIE EtaSs CIpp is NO thESp-
ton. Where tiles can be secured they
are h best n in the long run. the
cheapest. Temporary underdrainage
may be had by the use of poles laid
with the ditch. Open ditehes are
better than none. but they cause a
great deal Of plant food to b. lost
while they do NOT aerate the soil. Soii
aeration is an important matter and
secret bitches aid very much in se-
curing II.
Organic Matter.
The greaf need OF Virginia soils Is
organic mater. and IL good seds are
desired this need must be sufficient.
The blowing down Of n kind OF
green matter will assist In This d.
rectpn- In fact. the blowing OF any
crop whether green or dry is Il hene-
At. pecayed organic matter IN the
soil. called huHaus, Is essential be
cause without IL moisture cannot be
held. III IL also essential in order that
plant food ,Tssay be made gsailable in
the land. Our pastures run OUT
MS much on ccoun OF the lack Of
moisture as any other thing and
therefore, in order to prevent this.
the soil must be filled with organic
matter.
Methods Of Seeding.
The common practice of sowing
grass with the grain crops has led
many to believe that Il patch of grass
cannot be had In any other way.
Might as wei, say that a good crop
of wheat cannon be obtained unless
timothy Is sown with 1t. Where one
can do without the grain and cares
far nothing butte eeuEe a geed Sod,
there is no better way than to seed
the ground to grass alone. When the
seeding Is done IN rhe fall. the use of
a. nurse crop is q mistake. There
may be some excuse for it's use In
the spring o. 1t does help to keep
down the weeds.
In securing a good sod It Is import
ant to secure q variety OF seeds, not
only because different soils produces
some plants berter than others. but
because the needs OF the animal to
be grazed on the field are better
supplied II II has a variety of feed.
A good mixture Is the blue grass.
seven pounds. four pounds each OF
red top. timothy and orchard grass.
and two pounds each of red. a!sikA
and white clover per 6 This vii,
make a thick seeding. bur such Is
necessary II a God sod Is wanted.
II the farmer does not the soil
with a useful nlsnt. nature comes 70
the relief of the soil ana covers II
with a weed. Afthirk seadi-v Of any
kind or a crop reout~As q covresrond-
ing amount n pvailsble plant food
That n. 1t takeH twice as much food
10 grew two plants ~ Il takes ia
grow one. and therefore where thick