The Dcficicucy of Plants in Spring- Soivn Grass Seeds 



449 



the soil a single dressing with the common harrow 

 before sowing the seed ; and it is harrowed in with the 

 Ci'.ain harrow, which has the effect of making 

 the surface fine, and shakes clear of the soil all 

 stubble refuse. Trifolium is cut in spring 

 for horses or cattle ; it grows a very heavy 

 crop ; is a week or ten days earlier than ordi- 

 nary cutting grass, and English farmers value 

 it highly for horses. Some farmers go the length of 

 saying that trifolium alone for horses is equal to ordi- 

 nary cutting grass with oats. Of course Wt' are not 

 bound to beluz'L' this, but the writer was told so by the 

 farmer who recommended him to grow it. Now, the 

 question is, will Trifolium incarnatum suit our 

 climate? We most unhesitatingly say that it will, 

 having grown it four consecutive years with success. 

 It is a great advantage getting it early in to allow the 

 young plants to have some vigour before winter. 

 This season being so early is peculiarly favourable 

 for trying trifolium in Scotland, and no time should be 

 lost in getting it in. When trifolium is sown to cut 

 in spring, 141b., mixed with 3 pecks winter barley, 

 should be sown per imperial acre. 1% cwt. guano, 

 mixed with >2 cwt. bone meal, should be sown in the 

 stubble, harrow it in, sow the trifolium, and give 

 another dressing either with tlie chain or ordinary 

 harrow, and then roll with the press wheel roller. 

 We are told that frost kills it down. All I can 

 say is, that it has grown well for four con- 

 secutive seasons. The quantity required per 

 acre to thicken or replace young grass must 

 be regidated by the deficiency in the other. It 

 is best to err on the safe side, and not sow too little. 

 The expense per acre is small, for although trifolium, 

 owing to the great demand, has risen fully double its last 

 year's price, it still can be bought for something like 7d. 



per lb. We would reconnnend, wherever a field is 

 blanky, to sow it all over at the rate of 10 lb. per acre, 

 with a little Italian rye-grass. The harrowing required 

 to cover tlie seed will not damage the young grass, but 

 rather improve it ; but we would recommend it to be 

 rolled immediately, ifa favourable tid can be got. There 

 is another very useful substitute for grass in spring — viz., 

 winter tares. They can be sown now, and invariably 

 cut a week sooner than grass. Some farmers object to 

 them, as they say they lose the turnip crop, the tares 

 never being cut in time to give the turnip cro]> 

 a chance of being a good one. We have seen very 

 good turnips after winter tares, and a good crop of 

 winter tares may be more valuable than the turnip crop, 

 coming in as they do at a time when green food is not 

 to be procured. Winter barley is better for mixing 

 with tares than rye. The rye becomes soon too wiiy 

 and hard. Two bushels tares, mixed with 2 pecks 

 winter barley, should seed an acre, put in with the 

 drill to allow the tares to be hoed in spring. Care 

 should be taken to procure the earliest variety, which 

 is known in the south as the Racer tare. This may 

 be a local or provincial name, but it is chosen, we 

 suppose, to indicate a speedy grower. 



Two cwt. guano and one cwt. bone meal or bone 

 ash superphosphate should be sown with the seed, 

 and they may be made to cut a fortnight earlier by 

 top-dressing in spring, but it is necessary to give 

 manure with the seed to force them on. They will 

 succeed well sown any time in September, but the 

 sooner the better. The price is high, being from los. 

 to I2S. per bushel. Winter tares should be rolled im- 

 mediately after being sown, and care should be taken 

 to get a guarantee for the seed being fresh. In the 

 writer's experience, new seed will braird faster than 

 old seed. 



CATTLE FEEDING STUFFS. 



[Concluded from page 345.] 



WHEATMEAL scarcely ought to be classed as feeding purposes i \h. of this meal is much less valn- 

 a feeding stuff for stock ; it is seldom that it able than i lb. of good linseed cake. The following- 

 can be purchased at a price to allow of it thus being is an analysis of an average sample :— 

 nsed. When it can be had at a favourable price it p^^ ^^^^^ 

 should be largely employed for feeding ; it is valuable 



as a food for all kinds of stock. A few years ago, when Water 1 6. 00 



the price of wheat was very low, several farmers used '? Nitrogenous compounds 12.31 



it to a considerable extent ; amongst others, Mr Starch, sugar, gum, &c 66.41 



Hudson, who speaks highly of it as food for cattle. Woody fibre 2.75 



■Some who experimented with it considered that i lb. '''' -"^^^ 2.53 



of the meal was as valuable for feeding as i lb. of 



linseed cake. However, no trastworthy experiments 100.00 



were made to test the comparative values of the two n Containing nitrogen i. 96 



foods. The teachings of chemistry are rather at d Do. Phosphoric acid 0.68 



variance with this opinion. Analysis shews that for Do, Potash 0.56 



VOL. I. ^ '^ 



