TTIE GENESEE FARMER. 



305 



6msn ^>niier ^ri^c (£ssiip. 



ON THE BEST METHOD OF SEEDING LAND TO TIMO- 

 THY OS. HERD'S GRASS. 



I HAVE very little acquaintance with Herd's Graiss, 

 but can speak from a number of years' experience 

 with Timothy.* Timothy is one of our favorite 



frasses in this location, latitude 38, and I am satis- 

 ed will always pay well when put in rie;ht. 



In the first place it is all important to procure 

 good, clean seed, and the surest plan is for farmers 

 to save their own seed, when it can be done. When 

 the Timothy is quite ripe, cut it carefully with 

 sickles; tie it up in small bundles, some three inches 

 in diameter; set them up in small shocks, of some 10 

 or 12 bundles each, out in the field, where it should 

 remain expose! to the weather until it will rub off 

 pretty freely with the hands; if necessary, change 

 the bundles, that is, put the inside ones outside, in 

 order that it may all have thp rains, sunshine, &c., 

 until it will rub out freely. Then, when it is dry, 

 rub or thrash it out, (a careful hand could sow it in 

 the chaff very well) but it is preferable to have it 

 carefully cleaned with a good mill, when it will be 

 ready for use, and should be kept in a cool, dry 

 place until sown. 



The next and most important step is to prepare 

 the ground, which should ke pretty thoroughly broke 

 up in August Oat stubble is preferable to most 

 other ground, but it must be clean of all extra 

 straw or litter, &c., before plowing. (Ordinary stub- 

 ble will not hurt.) As soon after the first of Sep- 

 tember as the ground can be got ready, if season- 

 able, is the best time to sow, but it will do very well 

 daring all the month of September, and even until 

 the middle of October, but after that it will be 

 rather difficult for the young grass to get a good 

 start to stand the winter. In our latitude, 38, the 

 weather is generally two dry and hot before the first 

 of September to sow, and frequently some time later; 

 but the first seasonable weather in September is the 

 proper time. 



It is useless to lay down any certain or definite 

 rules about how much plowing, rolling, harrowing, 

 &c., the ground should have, for we must be govern- 

 ed by circumstances. It should be thoroughly 

 plowed, and as much rolling, harrowing, dragging, 

 &c., as may be necessary to pulverise and level the 

 soil; and if in any ways inclined to be wet, it should 

 be drained. (Such land is excellent for Timothy.) 

 Underdraining, of course, would be preferable, but 

 surface draining will answer. It can be pretty well 

 done with the plow in breaking up, or the last time 

 it is plowed, if plowed more than once, by making 

 the lands about 18 feet wide; and just before tlie 

 last harrowing, preparatory to sowing, open the val- 

 leys or old furrows^again with a two horse plow, and 

 complete them, if necessary, with hoe and spade; 

 also a few cross furrows if needed, for it must be 

 distinctly understood that no surplus water is to re- 

 main on the ground. 



Should there be stumps or similar obstructions 

 that cannot be got out handily, they should be dug 

 around and leveled, and so of every little abrupt 

 knoll or hollow, in order to give the machine or 



^ * Timothy is called Herd's Graas in New England.— Era. 



scythe a good bottom to work upon. The last thing 

 to be done before sowing is to lay off the ground. 

 A stick of wood will answer, soiiicthing like a short, 

 thick sled runner, with a clevy luid single tree for a 

 horse in the forepart, and a handle for the driver iu 

 the afterpart, which will make a broad, flat mark, 

 that can be seen without any trouble. The lands 

 should be five feet apart for sowing by hand. Some 

 prefer laying off and sowing both ways, but a good 

 machine or a good steady hand can sow it very ac- 

 curately one way. 



One more important point to be observed is the 

 quanitity of see<l used per acre. There is a great 

 difference of opinion about this matter. Some say 

 one gallon, some one gallon and a half, and some as 

 high as half a bushel per acre. My experience dem- 

 onstrates to me that one peck (rather over than under) 

 is about the proper quantity for any ordinary s \\. 

 But should the ground be very foul with bad seeds, 

 a half bushel will not be a great deal too much to 

 choke them out. If less than a peck per acre be 

 used, there will be so much more chance for a crop 

 of weeds the first year. The old adage will apply 

 here, viz: Nature abhors a vacuum; and just as cer- 

 tain as there is any amount of space left net cov- 

 ered with the Timothy seed, it will grow up the first 

 season with weeds and foul grass. On the other 

 hand, if the seed is properly put in, we may look 

 with confidence for a good crop the first season, (I 

 have never yet failed,) and if the Timothy should be 

 too thick it will thin itself. 



It should be brushed in with a good heavy brush, 

 and, if necessary, the water furrows again opened 

 with a one horse plow. Then, in the spring, if there 

 is any obstructions on the ground, such as stones, 

 roots, sticks, &c., they should be removed, and the 

 ground well rolled, as soon as dry enough, which 

 will leave it in good order for mowing. 



Spring sowing is very uncertain with us, and un- 

 less under a great many favorable circumstances, 

 such as good clean ground, good weather, &c., should 

 not be attempted. J. L. K. 



Jefferson County, Ky. 



ON THE MANAGEMENT OF CALVES. 



[We have received a number of excellent Essays 

 on this subject, and the committee, after considerable 

 hesitation, have selected out the two following, and 

 award a premium to each of them.] — Eds. 



The calf should be taken from the cow when one 

 or two days old, and taught to drink new milk. As 

 soon as it will drink* milk readily, or when about 

 eight or ten days old, part skim milk may be added, 

 first warming it to the proper temperature, with the 

 addition of about a table spoonful of corn meal, 

 stirring it while drinking. When about two weeks 

 old, give a little sweet hay once or twice a day, if in 

 winter or early spring, and as soon as the grass 

 starts, let it have the run of the calf pasture. The 

 skim milk may be gradually increased, and the new 

 milk diminished, until it is about three weeks old, 

 when the whole feed may consist of skim milk, and 

 the meal increased to about half a pint. This course 

 should be taken when it is an object to make butter. 

 If butter is no object, of course feed new milk. 



It must be borne in mind that oil changes from 

 the natural course should be gradual, as there is 

 much danger of bringing on the scours at this tender 



