106 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



GRASSES. 



March. 22d, at the agi-icultural inccting, Mr. Cal- 

 houn in tiic chair. Mr. Buckminster, of the Plough- 

 man, said that our principal grasses were hcrdsgrass, 

 redtop, and clover. Some farmers were satisfied 

 with tlicse, but he thought that further experiments 

 should be made on other grasses. Fowl meadow 

 makes excellent hay for a change, but it soon runs 

 out. Tiiis grass originated in Dedham. We want 

 some grass adapted to wet lands. 



Mr. Asa G. Sheldon, of Wilmington, said that 

 herdsgrass and redtop were the best grasses on 

 strong soils, but on light soils clover was more profit- 

 able. Ho thought that the time in which grass sheds 

 its seed was a good season for sowing seed. It suc- 

 ceeds bettor than when sown in spring. lie thought 

 that two tons of hay to the acre were enough, and 

 land that was ricli enough to produce four tons to 

 the acre, should be devoted to other crops. 



Mr. Brooks, of Princeton, remarked that as a grass, 

 clover was not so good as herdsgrass and redtop, 

 but it was better for the land, a<s its tap root runs 

 deep, and obtains nutriment from the subsoil. 

 Herdsgrass was not an exhausting crop ; he had 

 mowed land eight years in succession, and yet it was 

 in good condition for other crops. lie had tried 

 lucerne, and it failed. Fowl meadow dies out in a 

 short time ; it makes superior hay for working oxen 

 in summer, as it is less heating than herdsgrass. It 

 is excellent for milch cows for a month before calv- 

 ing, owing to its cooling properties. He found an 

 advantage in feeding it to a heifer that was affected 

 with the garget. lie would raise fowl meadow as a 

 medicine for stock. It succeeds better by cutting 

 late, but the hay is not so good. He knew of no 

 other grasses that were useful. Couch or witch 

 grass is a great pest to the farmer, and of but little 

 value for fodder. It may be killed in a few years by 

 preventing its going to seed. Large crops of grass 

 arc- not profitable. Two and a half tons to the acre 

 are sufficient. 



Mr. J. C. Gray said that he had not a variety of 

 soil. His was rather heavy, and he found herds- 

 grass and rodtop to be the most profitable ; the for- 

 mer was the better A-ariety. In curing clover there 

 was considerable waste of the fine parts. lie thought 

 that white weed, or ox-ej'e daisy, as well as witch 

 grass, shoidd be cut before going to seed, in order to 

 destroy it. As tlie former flourishes well onlj' on poor 

 soils, he thought it might be kept out of grass lands 

 by good culture. lie inquired what cfTcct subsoUing 

 had on grass crops. 



IMr. French, of Braintrcc, said that he had sub- 

 soiled about two acres of grass land, and it had a 

 very favorable effect. When he had the care of the 

 House of Industry, he sowed lucerne on a dry bank, 

 and it did well. It is not adapted to clayey soil. 

 Herdsgrass and redtop are our principal grasses. 

 Wo generally keep our land too long in grass. Im- 

 mediately after haying is a favorable season for 

 ploughing grass land. 



In making hay, it is best to haul it in in the heat 



of the day, also to rake up that which is not thor- 

 oiighly made while the hot sun is on it. Then ther& 

 will be time to mow after securing the hay, and the 

 grass will be ready to receive the sun the next morn- 

 ing. As to the quantity of seed, ho would sow half 

 a bushel of hcrdsgrass and a bushel of redtop to 

 the acre. He recommended sowing early in the fall. 

 He had drained his salt marshes by making ditches 

 thirty feet apart, three feet deep, and ten inches 

 wide ; these would nearly close at the top, but 

 remain open at the bottom. By this mode both the 

 quantity and quality of grasses were improved. 



Mr. Cole, of the N. E. Farmer, said that Mr. Phin- 

 ney and others had tried lucerne, but he knew of no 

 one v.ho continued its cultivation. It required land 

 in high tilth, and as much culture the first year as a 

 crop of beets or carrots, which would cost as much 

 as the crop would be worth for a number of years. 

 Fowl meadow will continue in the land if cut late, 

 but the hay is not so good. This is the practice of 

 those wlio raise this grass. He thought this grass 

 was a native of different parts of the country. He 

 had seen it years ago in new regions in Maine, and 

 old peojile had long known it in the same location. 

 [Mr. Brooks here remarked that it had been known 

 in Princeton seventy-five years.] He thought clover 

 had not been estimated sufficiently high. It made 

 the best hay for sheep, colts, young cattle, and cows, 

 and for horses not at labor, and for working cattle 

 and horses he prefen-ed part clover hay. Animals 

 need a variety of food, and when feeding at large, 

 they eat many grasses besides those cultivated, also 

 numerous kinds of weeds and bushes. Hcrdsgrass 

 and redtop abound with the same substance, silcx 

 or sand, taken up by solution, and which gives firm- 

 ness to the stalk ; but clover has less of this element, 

 and more lime and other ingredients M'hich may be 

 essential to their health. Clover could be well made 

 without waste, by putting it in heaps, after being par- 

 tially dried, as the moisture wiU. pass from the stems 

 to the leaves, and it will soon dry on exposure 

 to the air. By sowing grass seed thick, a large 

 crop may be raised, and yet the hay be good and 

 fine. He had raised three tons of excellent hay to 

 the acre. 



Hon. Moses Newell, of Essex county, said that he 

 subsoilcd a piece of land three years ago, and the 

 crops were excellent, and they seemed to increase ; 

 the soil moist, but not so wet as to need draining. 

 He had subsoilcd gravelly loam, and found no ben- 

 efit from it. He considered clover hay valuable. 



Deacon Brooks Shattuck, of Bedford, N. 11., said 

 that he subsoilcd a piece of grass land, leaving a part 

 without this operation, for experiment, and the crop 

 was considerably larger where the land was subsoilcd, 

 particularly last season, which was very dry. He 

 considered clover a very valuable grass. A great 

 accoimt was made of it in his region. He had fed 

 working horses one day pn herdsgrass, and one day 

 on clover, and so on alternatelj', and they prefciTcd 

 the clover, and worked as well on it. Clover could 

 be made without waste, by making it partly in the 

 heap, as had been suggested. 



