AQt
' - V CULTIVATION OF THE GRASSES. '
'' BY L. DURAND.
' Foremost Among valuable farm crops,-is grass :
the staple as it were, when compared with other veg
etation. To the farmer it is of incsthnablc impor
tance to secure his lands to grass, ntlcMst a goodly
proportion of his domain. In fact, the. foundation
of all successful-tillage lic3 in this point, namely
Docs your farm produce-all the valuable, natural
and exotic grasses well j if the response be -afurma-tlvc,
you may muitc; with tillers who have the right
to bo considered good cultivators or at least you may
indulge in the gratifying unction .that your neigh
bors envy you the possession of ft superior farm.
Next to the "farmer, who is befriended by green
meadows, and uplands waving with mi nature seas of
Timothy," is the rural gentleman who delights in a
velvety lawn spread around bi3 house in all its re
frr 'hing greenness and glistening brilliancy. To at
tain thi is not in all case3 an easy matter. The
difficulty experienced by the amateur, is an inade
quate knowledge of the diOerent varieties of grass
and their adaplibility to different soils. I shall
therefore giro the namc3 and description of those
kinds, with which l am practically acquainted.
Timothy or Herd's grass, (I'Mciftn Pratcnse) is one
of the most-valuable of all the cultivated khuls ; it
is of foreign origin, but adapts itself to American
soil like one to the " manor born." . In Kngland,
will be none too much. A better market hay, how
ever,' can be produced by ro wing one bushel of rcd-
I top, to half a bushel, or three pecks of timothy per
acre. Oftcntimesl.onc bushel cf cccd will be as ef
fectual in seeding an acre of iandus two bushels on
other occasions. Notwithstanding- this singularity,
thick seeding i3 at all Jime3 advisable, whether for
posture,' or lawn purposes as in unpropitious years,
much seed never vcgctatc3. Clover is nlro, essen
tial to good pasture. In case land has been, previ
ously planted to such crops us require much animal
manure, it will not be necessary to-put in any lover
seed, as a sufficient quantity will be found growing
spontaneously in connection with the timothy, the
first season. The second season, timothy and red
top, wilt displace .the clover. Timothy grass, as a
general rule, grows but once in a season, although
in low swales if the weather bo favorable ; it will
after being cut, afford good early fall feed for'cattle.
- Hcd-top, in sonic sections of the country, is con
sidered 1' . . c t gras3 for feed.; Entirely alone
it makes excellent ; mvr for rlock ; horses, howev
er prefer a mixture of th.Kthy. - . r
Red-top forms a" close, tight r.. ' the lawn,
and effectually shuts out weeds of ah... - de
scription. It will also grow and flow i . ii . a
much lighter soil than" timothy, remaining i;
meadow and growing a good crop of grass, lonr;
ter the timothy has become a reminiscence. " Thci c
appears to be two kinds of red-tops, one sort that ia
peculiar to the west of the upland pastures of New
twenty-nine tons ol tins grass nac i,een cut irom . I:ngianj; ana grows about twelve inches high, with
gix acres of ground, such astonishing yields arc a Smair lender fetalk, and a short fuzzy toj. The
donfitlcsf -owing, tp high cultivation and a propitious ollicr kind, the red-top proper, grows from fifteen
climate. In this" country, it is made use .of to an . , t two feet with a lone slender head as'aton
almost" unlimited extent for market hay, as it pos
sesses a largo per cent, of nutriment, when dry.
This fact, however, docs not prove it, the best ; for
not unfrcqucnlly ifr is spoiled in making in hay, while
in the' field; it being very sensitive of any extra
neous "influence. -When this grass 13 put in -the
ground alone, it often grow3 coarse, with hu ge stalks
particularly the season subsequent to seeding. This
raukricss of growth, of course, tends to depreciate
the quality of the gras3 for fodder. Tn order to
avoid this error (for it is an error,) the seed should
bo put in very thick, with a generous .proportion of
redtop, (Agrosiis vulgaris.) 1 The result will be a fine,
tender grass, plethoric with nourishing juice, and
affording excellent jTasturage and'a vcjvety lawn.
When timothy is sown alflne (apian which-1 would
riot recommend) on grounds which have- been pre
yibusly well stimulated by the application of ma
nure, the quantity of seed demanded will be about
ou bjjhel and.a half per acre. In case the aoiTis
ongTsienoer iieau as aiop'
and a stalk in proportion.1 The smull red-top, may
be as nutritious as thc larger kind, it certainly makes
a good grass for 'cattle when fed down, and not per-,
mitred to v run into' flower and seed before the ani-
mals are. " turned,in."
Red- Clover.' wc' think is entitled to be called a
grass, although some- claim that it. -is 'hot ft grass
'.'.-. m ' ' m ".
proper, then call it a grass improper. A late writer
in the American Agriculturist, called Indian corn
one of the grasses. If this be. the case, I think there
need bo no question but that clover may be rccog
nized by a similar distinction. ' '
Red clover for pasture, is the most economical us,,
to which it can be devoted. U is also valuable as a
soiler turned unucr 'when green. ' lhc amount 01,
feed that red clover will yield in a season, is alniost
incredible. After it has thoroughly "headed out1
" turn in" stock-enough to feed it down iii the shdrt
est time, in which case it will continue to grow fresh
feed during the "remainder of the season.' ' It is
ittdlif.'veat condition, tvro bnhM per neraMienUL