NEW. ENGL AND FARMER. 



Nov. 



of Europe it is ranked amon" the most valuable. 

 Those that have been named all mature at nearly 

 the same time, and might be sown together. The 

 oivJiard </rass is good also, but it comes forward 

 earlier, and would ripen its seed by the time timo- 

 thy would be in bloom, and when it is over-ripe, 

 the stems are hard and wiry. But I have li/de 

 doubt that it would be an excellent addition to clo- 

 ver, and would be ready for the scythe at the same 

 time. Some ten or twelve years ago, I sowed' 

 some of this seed on a part of my dry pasture 

 that I had ploughed, but for some reason it never 

 came up. In another trial, a few years laler, I 

 sowed a little on some moist clayey loam, where it 

 came up and promised well, but the firet winter 

 killed a large part of it. What survived, however, 

 still liv«s and flourishes. I have saved seed from 

 it at various times, and sown it around under ap- 

 ple trees, and find it more hardy than I at first sup- 

 posed. I saved seed last summer which I intend 

 to sow with the clover next spring. It is highly 

 recommended as a pasture grass, on account of its 

 early growth in spring, by starting rapidly after 

 being cropped, and its abililj'^ to resist severe 

 drought, iicd clove)' is in my estimation a very 

 valuable forage plant. In favorable soils it will 

 give a very large amount of food for stock, M'heth- 

 er used green for soiling, or made into hay. I 

 think we have no one kind of grass more accepta- 

 ble to milcli cows, or that better answers all pur- 

 poses for which we feed these, whether our object 

 be to fatten our stock, or to produce milk. It 

 should enter largely into our arrangements for 

 forage, especially that part which we intend to use 

 up at home. It has also been found to be very 

 serviceable as an aid to the improvement of the 

 soil. The manorial results from clover must be 

 rich in lime, potash, soda, and other important 

 elements, which exist in lesser quantities. These, 

 with the organic portion of the excrement, will 

 make an excellent fertilizer for any soil to which 

 it may be applied. One may be pardoned, how- 

 ever, for wishing that clover were not so liable to 

 sufi'er in sum.mer, if it is sown with grain, or in 

 winter, if the ground is not kept well covered 

 with snow. Perhaps the best way -to arrange it, 

 is to sow it in the spring, without grain. It will 

 then bear the summer heat, and give, on good 

 soil, a fair crop the first season, and be in better 

 condition to bear the severities and changes of 

 winter. 



WJiite clover in also a valuable grass, both for 

 pastures and mowing lands. It should be sown 

 always with other grasses. By its thick growth at 

 the bottom, the amount of hay is largely increased, 

 and its quality improved. On lands that are in a 

 condition to give a second crop, it is especially to 

 be valued, as it starts quickly after being cropped. 

 It is a rich and nutritious grass, not greatly infe- 

 rior to red clover. 



If lucerne can be made to bear our winters, it 

 also should take rank among our best forage 

 plants. It has not yet proved itself sufficiently 

 hardy to be a sure crop here. It requires a good 

 and deep loamy soil, well fertilized, with a dry and 

 permeable subsoil of sand or gravel, for its roots 

 penetrate to a great depth. It will not flourish in 

 a compact clay. In a favorable soil it will give 

 three or four crops in a season, the first crop be- 

 ing ready to cut from the lOth to the loth of May, 

 and the second five or six weeks after. It should 



be cut as soon as it begins to blossom, otherwise 

 the stems become hard and woody. Its roots pen- 

 etrate so deep that it never suffers from drought, 

 but holds up its stem fresh and green in the driest 

 and most sultry weather, Avhen every blade of 

 grass droo])S for Avant of moisture. I sowed a 

 small quantity of the lucerne seed, about ten years 

 ago, in a light, sandy soil. It promised well the 

 first season, but the winter killed most of it. 

 What survived still remains, and grows more 

 thrifty than the clover on the same soil. I pur- 

 pose to try it again the coming season, believing 

 that if it can be carried safely through our win- 

 ter, it will become more hardy, age giving firmness 

 to its fibre. 



INIuch of our wet meadow land that cannot be 

 easily drained, might be improved by the addition 

 of the most valuable grasses that flourish in such 

 a situation. On some of these probably, the fowl 

 meadoiv grass would thrive. This has been high- 

 ly recommended for the large amount of hay it 

 gives, and also for its good quality. Some years 

 ago I attempted to introduce it into some of my 

 low ground. The seed took only in some small 

 patchfs, and the plan failed. The seed being ex- 

 pensive ($5.00 a bushel,) I was discouraged from 

 trying again. This grass has several good quali- 

 ties. It is supposed to be more nutritious than 

 any of the wet meadow grasses. Its habit being 

 to send up new shoots from the lower joints, it 

 would probably give a good second crop if mowed 

 early ; and it accommodates itself to the conve- 

 nience of the hay-makers belter than any others, 

 making good hay if cut at any time from July to 

 October, the first stems remaining green while 

 sending up numerous new ones. It thrives best 

 on moist intervales that are occasionally over- 

 flowed, and I have sup[)osed it might thrive on 

 the outer borders of our river meadows, and per- 

 haj^s on every part of tliem, when the dam at Bil- 

 lerica is removed, and the river cleared. 



Many years ago I was informed by some friends 

 from Plymouth that the product of some wet 

 meadow lands in that vicinity had been greatly 

 improved by simply sowing red-top on the sod. 

 As this will grow in quite wet situations, it might 

 pay to try it on some of ours, and this might be 

 done with little cost. 



Blue Joint is ar other valuable grass for wet 

 lands, and where the soil suits, it yields a very 

 large crop, growing to the height of 4 or 5 feet. 

 The quality places it among the best of the swamp 

 grasses. I have seen it growing in great luxuri- 

 ance and abuHdance on the Charles River mead- 

 ows, in West Roxbury and Newton, where the 

 meadow is annually overflowed in spring, and I 

 see no reason why it should not do on our river 

 meadows. It is a very common grass in low 

 grounds, but I have not seen it pure in such mas- 

 ses as in the Charles River meadows. 



The Bced Canary grass, which grows very rank- 

 ly along the mill brook, and by the river side 

 in this town, — by some called hlue joint — would 

 seem to be a good grass for similar situations, and 

 perhaps if once introduced might flourish in our 

 wet meadows generally ; more especially wliere 

 the water at some seasons flows over the surface. 

 I have noticed it growing on uplands quite luxu- 

 riantly, but do not suppose it would be a profita- 

 ble grass to cultivate where more nutritious grass- 

 es would flourish. It looks very beautiful in its 



