Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-12-10
MANAGEMENT OF MEADOWS.
(By James L. Montague, County
(Farm Demonstration.

(Farm Demonstrator.)
No section of the State is more
adapted TO the production of mead
ow grasses than are the southwest
ern counties. The fine root systems
Of the grasses are more peculiarly fit
ted for penetrating the tight clay and
clay loan soils than are those of any
other farm crop. The greatest amount
of moisture is held by this type of
soil, and the seasons and climate are
such that conditions are almost ideal
for the growing of grasses.
Factors Causing Poor Meadows.
Certain factors, however, have been
brought about which have made the
conditions unfavorable on some of the |
farms for the highest production of !
grass crops. One of the most fire.
quent causes of poor meadows is acid i
ity of soil, and lack of sufficient hui |
mus and plant foods. Such conditions !
have been brought about by constant
cropping with grains, and the turning
under of thin sods. Failure to secure
good stands of grass are caused by
heavy nurse crops, such as wheat and
oats, which exhaust the soil mixture
during the summer, thus killing the
young grass; heavy pasturing while
young, freezing out in winter; and al
lowing the grass to go to seed, which
decreases its vitality. Bad blowing
and poor physical condition of the
sol. also claim their share of credit
for causing poor stands of grass.
How to Secure Good Scds.
Before seeding a piece of land to
grass, it is good management to see
that the following conditions are
brought about:
1. Have we'll prepared seed bed,
n place where you know grass seed
will terminate, and one as free from
weeds as possible.
2. Have good supply of humus,
and essential plant foods
Correct acidity if the land is sour.
A. Sow clean seed with guaran
teed termination.
5. Don't have the nurse crop SD
heavy as to injure the grass when
seeding in small grain.
Then after a stand is secured:
l. Don't pasture too close the first
winter.
=. Prevent the clover and timothy
from going to seed.
3. Use two dressings of acid phos-
phatc, and some form Of nitrogen
such as manure or tankage.
Successful Method of Seeding.
A method of seeding that has prov
en- most successful in this part of the
country, is that of discing up the
small grain stubble after the harvest
narrowing it at intervals of week or
ten days, and then seeding the grass
alone sometime during the first two
weeks of August. The narrowing con-
serves moisture, kills weeds, and
makes an excellent seed bed. The
grass passes through the winter bet
ter, and is ready to NOW the follow
ing summer, the clover usually lasting
longer when seeding in this way. The
increase in production of hay more
than pays for the extra labor. The
extra cost of labor over the usual
method is usually about $500 to $3.50
per acre per rotation. The loss of
grass seed due to the old method of
seeding often amounts to more
than this. An application of 200
pounds of acid phosphate, or 200
: pounds of tankage per acre will be of
great help when applied to thin land
at the time of seeding.
| Lining.
/. Sour soils should be treated with
an application OF at least one ton of
burnt lime, or two tons of either the
) Stacked lime or the ground limestone
| 1t may applied after turning the land
for corn, provided the field is not to
be plowed again before the seeding
: to grass. Ground limestone may be
applied to the small grain during the
winter months, or either form may be
: used just previous to seeding to grass
, but it is more economical to let the
, small grain get the use of the lime
also. Never turn under fresh appli-
5 cation of lime, as the top soil needs
it worse than the sub-soil.
Economy With Meadows.
Meadows, especially clover mead
ows, furnish the best of roughage,
and at the same time improve the soil
condition, besides supplying nitro
gen and humus. There is even more
truth in this when the hay is fed back
on the land. The better the sod the
better is the hay which it produces,
and the following grain crops are like
wise improved in proportion. Any
thing which benefits the meadows,
will be benefit to the land and the
crops throughout the whole rotation.
| HAnan IL