The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1915-08-06

| small pieces of sod. Formerly the sod
method was the one most commonly
practiced, because the seed was so
scarce and of such low vitality that it
was frequently impracticable to use 1t.
Now, however, seed from the South
west, especially from Arizona, can be
had Of much better quality than that
formerly on the market
If seeding is resorted to, 1t should
be done on well-prepared seeded,
in March or April. Five pounds of seed
to tho acre will be sufficient, as the
seed is very small and the grass
spreads rapidly. II this small quantity
Of fine seed is mixed with cottonseed
meal OF dry earth, or, better. mixed
with the seed of other pasture plants,
its equal distribution viii be made
easier. A roller or light smoothing har-
row may be used to cover the seed.
When pieces of sod ire planted In
stead Of seed, a common method is to
lay off burrows about three feet apart
and drop small pieces of sod in them
every two or three feet, covering them
with the foot. In almost any local
ity In the South 1t is Usually easy to
find wellestablished Bermuda-grass
sod. A shallow furrow can be cut with
a turning pillow, and this can Se
chopped up with spade into pieces
about two inches square. One advan-
tage over seeding that this method
possesses is that the planting OF sod
may be done at any time during the
summer, and good stands have also
been obtained with less preparation of
the seeded than is required for the
other method. It is better, however,
to prepare the seeded thoroughly in
either case. II the sod Is planted In
the spring, the grass will usually COW
er the entire ground the first season.
Bermuda grass is permanent on fer
tile soils in the South, endures long
periods of drought without much in
jury, and is benefited rather than In
jured by the grazing and trampling of
stock. 1t cannot, however, stand much
shade, and therefore should not be
used in woodland pastures. This
characteristic is sometimes an advan.
tage, for when 1t is desired to eradi.
cate the grass crop Of oats and vetch
sown in the fall and followed by
crop of cowpeas the following summer
will usually result in freeing the field
for cultivated crops. AS feed Der.
muda grass is considered to be as
nutritious as most of the other
grasses.
With Bermuda grass agricultural au-
thorities now recommend the sowing
OF lespedeza Japan clover. which be-
ing legume. enriches the soil with
nitrogen. On rich, fertile loans les
pedeza makes very satisfactory crop
of hay, but 1t will often grow on land
so poor that nothing else can survive
1t makes its best growth In midsum-
mer and Is not checked until the heavy
frosts OF fall.
Unless extremely close grazing Is
practiced, lesnedeza is self-perpetuat-
ing. One method, in fact, Of getting
stand is to cut some Of the ripened
hay and scatter 1t over the ground to
be seeded. Under ordinary circum-
stances, however, 1t is usual to SOW
about 25 pounds Of pure well-cleaned
seed to the acre at any time after
the danger from frost is past. Small
er quantities, however, viii often be |
sufficient for pasture. as It spreads
rapidly In any suitable SOIL
Bermuda grass and lespedeza are
both suitable for summer pastures
only. It Is. therefore, desirable to |
seed with them something that will |
furnish winter grazing. The two |
plants best suited for this purpose are
bur clover and white or Dutch clover.
These are seeded In late summer or
fall, bur clover ct the rate Of is pounds
Of hulled seed, or two bushels of the
burs, to the acre. and white clover
at the rate Of four or Eve pounds to
the acre. This combination Of Der
muda grass, lespedeza, bur clover. and
white clover Il undoubtedly the best
combination for pastures over the
greater part Of the cotton-groving 30
gion-
with such q mixture Of good soIl
and a proper system Of grazing. the
pasture should increase In production
for many years. The success Of any
permanent pasture. however, depends
primarily on the fertility Of the land
at the start, and 1t is. therefore. good
policy 70 put the land In good filth. II
the son Is deficient in organic matter.
some green-manure crop such as COW
peas should be ploved under before
the grass Is seeded