Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-06-17
Establishing Winter Grazing
Area in Georgia

M L. M, Atlanta, Ga, writes:
What is the best winter grass
for pasture purposes? When is
the proper time to SOW the grass
and what fertilizer should be
used?
One of the best grasses you can
utilize for winter grazing in your
section of the state would be Italian
rye grass. This grass has to be
seeded as early in the fall as posi-
BILE. 1t should be sown on land
which has been we'll prepared and
which is in good state of fertility.
Cover it into the soil with a weeder
Sow this grass at the rate of about
so pounds per acre. Italian rye
grass is an annual and therefore
has to be sown each year. This is
an objection, Of course, but it is one
of the best winter growing grasses
adapted for use in the south. 1t
takes rather kindly to our north
Georgia soils and will make beau
tiful pasture lawn during the win
ter season, and yields a very good
crop of hay in the early spring.
1t would be better to use Red Top
or Herds grass on the moist bottom
lands in your section of the state.
This is r. perennial grass and re-
tains its hold on the land for num-
Der of wears. Naturally. this is a
distinct advantage. This grass,
however, will not do so well on red
hillsides or uplands as Italian rye
grass. 1t takes about seven pounds
of reclaimed Herds grass to seed
an acre.
Land intended for grass should be
thoroughly and skillfully prepared
by breaking it in the autumn and
working it down into a fine seed
bed. 1t is good practice to use lib
eral applications of fertilizer. or
course, well-rotted yard manure is
excellent, and several tons can be
used per acre. This material can
be dsked into the surface OF the
ground after the land has been
thoroughly prepared. A good formu-
la to use is 500 pounds of q mixture
containing per cent nitrogen, 10
per cent 5phosphoric acid, and per
cent potash
Improving the Tilth of Garden Soil
P. L., Atlanta, Ga, writes:
l. WOulQ like 10 hHOW inc pCSS
way to loosen up tight clay
garden that will not grow any,
thing regardless of how much
commercial fertilizer is used.
After u rain it gets like a jelly
then bakes so hard that the
seed can not get through the
crust. Your advice in this mat
ter will be appreciated.
The best way to loosen up a hard,
tight, clay soil would be through
the use of liberal amounts Of COM
post or green crops plowed under.
[ have had occasion at various times
to handle plots of land of the char
acter you describe and followed the
| procedure outlined below
First of ALL break the land as
thoroughly and completely as pos
sible. This work will be greatly ia
cilitated if you can do it at a sea-
son of the year when there is plen.
ty of moisture in the ground. Lime
the land, using at least one ton of
raw, crushed, lime rock per acre.
This material should be scattered
over the surface Of the ground and
narrowed into the soil a few days
before the coWpeas. velvet beans or
soy beans are planted. These may
be broadcast or planted in drills.
We think better stand is obtained
by planting them in drills sixteen
inches apart. The idea is to shade
the ground as thoroughly and COM
pletely as possible
Before planting the peas or beans,
we suggest that you apply a mini.
mum of 500 pounds of a fertilizer
formula Aslaining l to 2 per cent
nitrogen, 10 to II per cent phospho-
rio acid and 5 per cent potash. II
you secure good stand of any of
the legumes mentioned and then
turn them under when they are in
good condition to cut for hay. it will
be good practice. Roll the land so
as to compact it, and seed again in
the fall TO mixture of oats and
marry Yetch. If you have an album
dance OF compost available derived
either from barn lot or from an
accumulation of vegetable matter
on woodland area, you may haul a
good deal of this to the land and
top'dress it to a depth of several
inches. 1t is good practice to turn
thls material under and then seed
10 such crops as l have suggested
The use of the compost will lessen
the length of time it will take TO
orlng the land into a satisfactory
CONDITION as to porosity and fria.
bility - 10