104 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



moves the seed, and as has been shown previously, close 

 grazing all the time tends to lessen production. 



Renewing. The renewing of blue grass pastures, im- 

 portant as it is, calls for further experimenting before 

 all is known that ought to be known with reference to it, 

 but some things regarding this question have been settled 

 with at least a measure of definiteness. Among these 

 are the following: 



1. That in many localities blue grass pastures at 

 length become "sodbound?' that is, the plants become 

 so numerous and the roots so matted, that the free 

 growth of the grass is so hindered that the maximum 

 of production is reduced in proportion as this condition 

 exists, and it becomes further aggravated in dry weath- 

 er. 2. That this sodbound condition may be so dealt 

 with as to greatly improve the yield of the pasture crops. 

 This has been attempted in various ways, but chiefly 

 through the aid of the disk harrow, and also the com- 

 mon harrow, has it been successfully accomplished. The 

 following has probably been the most successful of all 

 the ways that have been tried of renovating blue grass 

 pastures which have been sodbound: The disk harrow 

 is run over the sod at that season when the frost is only 

 out sufficiently to allow the disks to cut down to the 

 depth of two or three inches, and yet the frost below pre- 

 cludes the sinking of the feet of the horses to any con- 

 siderable depth. The disk is then run straight crosswise 

 or at an angle over the land previously disked. The 

 disks are set so as to leave the cuts of sod somewhat on 

 edge. The harrow then follows at once or a little later. 

 If other seed is to be sow^n, as white clover, or orchard 



