1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



59 



For the New England Farmer. 



GRASS CROPS. 



REPORTED TO THE CONCORD FARMERS' CLUB DY 

 JOHN B. MOORE. 



Mr. President : — Of all the crops grown in 

 New England, perhaps the Grass crop is the most 

 important to the farmer, from the fact that for 

 the whole year the cattle, horses and sheep de- 

 pend mainly upon the grass and hay for their sus- 

 tenance. 



And the farmers procure just what they want 

 from keeping this stock, and what they must 

 have, that is, a large quantity of manure for pro- 

 ducing this and their other crops and increasing 

 the fertility of their land. 



In no other way can they get manure so con- 

 veniently as by consuming the grass and hay on 

 their Airms. He Avho improves the capacity of 

 his farm for produciug grass for feed, or curing 

 for hay, and then consumes the same, or if he 

 sells it, buys manure to replace what it would 

 make, and also takes good care of the same, will, 

 in a short time, increase the productiveness of his 

 land, and not only enable him to raise larger 

 quantities of grass, but also of grain, roots, and 

 other vegetables. 



And in fact, nearly every thing in our New 

 England farming depends on the grass and hay, 

 for if we do not have a good supply of these, of 

 course we cannot keep a large stuck of cattle, and 

 we must keep this stock or we shall not have 

 much manure. If we do not by manure enrich 

 our soils, we shall fail to produce good crops, and 

 poor crops do not pay. 



As to the manner of cultivation, we do not ex- 

 pect to impart any new ideas, but merely to state 

 some of the best methods now in use with which 

 we are acquainted. 



For high lands, spring seeding with small 

 grains, particularly barley, or planting corn, cul- 

 tivating it with aflat surface and seeding to grass 

 in July, perhaps succeeds better than any other 

 way on very dry soils. 



On low, moist upland, and reclaimed meadow, 

 plow in August and September, roll down the 

 furrows, put as much compost manure as 3'ou can 

 spare — not less than twenty ox-cart loads to the 

 acre, and more would be better — harrow well 

 both vpays, then sow al)out 1^ pecks hords- 

 gi-ass, and 3 pecks red-top seed per acre ; cover 

 with a brush — harrow, pick the stones, and finish 

 by rolling down smooth. We formerly sowed a 

 larger quantity of seed, but fjund after the first 

 year that it made too thick a sward. 



Clover we consider a good crop to grow on di-y 

 soils ; and probably the best way to produce it is 

 to sow it with the other grass seeds. On dry 

 land the first crop will be increased largely by the 

 addition of the clover ; this we would advise to 

 use for home consumption, and not for market. 



Your committee are satisfied that we nuist de- 

 pend upon our low, moist s.tils, li»r most of the 

 grass that we cure for hay. Upon almost every 

 farm there is more or less low-land, covered with 

 brush, or wet nuuidows and swamps, whicli are- 

 unproductive in tiieir present condition, but mayj 

 easily be made the l)estandmost ]troihictivi' grass' 

 land on our farms, and after lieing rcchiimed, will| 

 produce much more grass with tlie same manure! 

 and labor than dry soils. 



Then as to curing, cut when in full blossom if 

 you can ; where there is a large quantity to be 

 secured, it is necessary to begin on a portion as 

 early as possible, so as to enable us to get through 

 before it is over-ripe. There is, however, quite a 

 difference of opinion with good farmers as to the 

 time when it should be cut, so as to make the 

 most nutritious hay. 



We would also say that it has been our experi- 

 ence in reclaiming mciidows and swamps, that to 

 produce a large crop of good grass, it is necessa- 

 ry that the land be well and thoroughly drained, 

 and have a good dressing of sand or gravel, or a 

 large portion of the same in the compost manure 

 applied before and after seeding. Otherwise, 

 however well manured, there will be a weakness 

 of the straw, Avhieh will cause it to fall and rot 

 before it has time to grow to be a full crop. 



We have also examined the crops of grass groAvn 

 on meadows reclaimed in various ways, and in 

 our opinion the too common pi-actice of burning 

 the entire top soil is a bad one. Although the 

 first crop will probably be good, the land and af- 

 ter crop will be much larger and better without 

 the burning than with it ; burning leaving a ten- 

 dency to moss and wild grass. 



There are acres of this burnt land in our own 

 town, that, after one or two seasons, have run 

 back to wild grass, and which it will require 

 nearly twice as much manure to keep in good con- 

 dition than it would if it had been reclaimed in a 

 different manner. 



You will see the importance of this leading 

 product of our farms ; with it, we are enableii to 

 supply ourselves with a plenty of beef, mutton, 

 and milk ; the product of the last named has be- 

 come a very large business near the cities and 

 large towns, our own town furnishing not less 

 than 1200 gallons daily for the Boston market, 

 besides milk and part of the butter and cheese for 

 our own consumption ; all of which is almost 

 entirely dependent on the grass, and hay made 

 from the same. 



Then let us increase largely the quantity and 

 quality of this product of our land, not feeling 

 satisfied to produce any less than two tons per 

 acre, and, as before stated, by largely increasing 

 the same, we are, by the manure made from it, 

 enabled to increase every cultivated product of 

 our land. 



For the Committee, 



Dec, 1854. JouN B. Moork. 



The Old Farmer's Almanac. — Jenks, Hick- 

 ling & Swan, Boston, have publislnnl number 

 sixty-three, of this old favorite of the farmer. It 

 tells us almost erverytliiug about the stars and 

 eclipses, and how to cast tlie interest on our 

 bank stock ; tells us of the commencements, 

 American Presidents, uncurrent bank notes ; 

 when to look out fur a snow storm, and a liigh 

 tide, and has twelve cajiital little sermons on its ca- 

 lendar pages. And then it asks a ''heap of such 

 curious questions," and gives "lots" of good ad- 

 vice in various ways. How slioiild we know any- 

 thing when to plow or sow, kill our hogs or salt 

 the pork, without tlie '■'•Old Fann':r'x Almanac: 

 by Robt. B. Thomas ?" 



