©42 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
July 25, 
A PERMANENT TIMOTHY MEADOW. 
The “ Clark” System Once More. 
Part I. 
T ELL us how to start a permanent Timothy meadow 
—one that will last? The land on which we 
propose starting the Timothy is not strictly sod 
ground but played-out Alfalfa land. Alfalfa has 
been seeded twice with poor results. It was plowed last 
in August, 1913. N. w. m. 
New Jersey. 
Annually for at least 15 years we have retold the 
Story of Geo. M. Clark’s method of growing Timothy. 
Each year there comes a new set of questions which 
seem to make a new telling necessary. If anyone 
ever raised more hay to the acre than Mr. Clark we 
do not know where the records are. At any rate 
Clark’s theory was sound and with modifications to 
suit conditions it is the best one we know of. Clark 
lived in Connecticut. The soil he cultivated was 
naturally the hard stony land so often seen in New 
England, grown up to brush and huckleberries. 
THOROUGH PREPARATION.—That is the first 
principle of the Clark method. Taking such a field 
as N. W. M. tells about the first thing would be to 
kill out every plant now growing on it. The ob¬ 
ject of this is to make a permanent meadow where¬ 
in the Timothy once seeded so that the plants are 
started will grow for years—fed and producing their 
crop year after year like trees. In order to do this 
the Timothy plant must be free. Unless the weeds 
and tough old grass growing on the soil before seed¬ 
ing are fully killed out they will come back, take 
possession of the land and crowd out the new seed¬ 
ing. We all know what happens when we let cul¬ 
tivated land “go back to nature.” Weeds and trash 
of all sorts crowd out the cultivated grasses and 
change the character of the sod. The chief reason 
why many grass seedings are so short-lived is be¬ 
cause the old sod is not fully killed out and the 
tough old tramps work in before the young Timothy 
plants can make a sod thick enough to crowd them 
out 
WORKING THE SOIL.—The usual plan was and 
is to use a turning plow and turn the old sod or 
other growth on the field completely over. This put 
the grass and weeds out of sight. The under soil 
was turned up and certainly looked brown and clean 
and fit for a seeding. It is strange how many farm¬ 
ers have been fooled by the bottom of a furrow 
slice. After a thorough harrowing this upturned 
soil looks mellow and fit and clean, but the farmer 
seems to forget that a few inches below this seed 
bed are to be found the entire mass of weeds and 
trash which ruined the old sod or made the field a 
nuisance. This foul stuff is not dead. It will come 
to life in all its vigor at about the time the young 
Timothy plants are growing well, and being stronger 
than the new-comers these old plants will make 
their way into the new sod, and cannot be kept out. 
Thus the only way to make sure of a permanent 
meadow of the desired grasses is thoroughly to kill 
out the old plants before putting in new seed. In 
a short rotation this work would not pay. It is 
meant for preparing permanent meadow. 
STIRRING THINGS UP.—That is what Clark 
tried to do. He said that grass and weed roots were 
not killed by bu ying them—they must be cut and 
thrown up and out where sun and air can get at 
them. This means a tillage tool which reverses the 
work of the turning or covering plow. The disk or 
Cutaway harrow does this. Imagine a steel pie plate 
flattened out to a disk. Cut out notches in the rim 
so as to leave saw-like teeth and you have the prin¬ 
ciple of the cutaway. Hold this disk solidly down 
into the ground and roll it along. The curved and 
notched rim will cut into the sod and as it turns 
lift out its narrow cut and give it a toss or shake 
instead of turning it over as the plow would do. 
Now we see what happens when a heavy Cutaway 
harrow with a number of these sharp disks is put on 
a sod with power enough in front of it to make it 
go at a good pace. These disks tear at the sod. cut 
out great chunks and toss them up and over instead 
of ripping over one long furrow slice. Often in 
working our own ground in this way the workmen 
have complained that the work was inferior to 
plowing because it did not look neat. The object 
is not so much to do a neat job as to put the sod up 
to the surface with its roots cut off. Plowing the 
sod over and fitting it for a seeding means perhaps 
five workings of the soil. The “Clark” method of 
tossing up the sod means from 15 to 20 workings 
and yet get the pay for your time at good wages 
when the grass starts. You chop it up one way and 
then go across the other way. Then you take a 
diagonal slant from one corner to the other and 
then try it from the other. As often as you see any 
green thing starting on that field you cut the sur¬ 
face up once more. July and August are the best 
months for doing this. The spring-tooth harrow is a 
good tool to help in this, but the lifting action ol 
the disk or Cutaway is best. 
DOUBLING UP THE CROP. 
N EARLY all our market gardens have sufficient 
land to admit the planting of most crops in 
rows wide enough apart to enable the cultiva¬ 
tion to be done mostly by horse power. The system 
of double cropping the land and rotation of crops 
as practiced by the most skillful and successful gar¬ 
deners is about the same everywhere, and is as fol¬ 
lows : 
Reets and radishes may be sown together to ad¬ 
vantage. As the beets require 00 to 75 days from the 
sowing of seed till ready for use. and radishes only 
30 to 40 days, they can be cleared off before the 
beets crowd them very much. Sow the beets in 
rows 20 to 24 inches apart, and radishes between. 
This would make the rows of beets and radishes 10 
or 12 inches apart. Sowing the seed of both first 
week in April, or as soon thereafter as possible, the 
crops will be cleared off by the first to the 10th of 
July, when a second crop can be planted. Of course, 
the crops are sold in an immature state—that is, be¬ 
fore the roots have reached complete development. 
The land may be immediately replanted to celery, 
bush beans, or early sorts of sweet corn. 
Sweet corn, muskmelons, cucumbers can be suc¬ 
cessfully grown together, and with considerable ad¬ 
vantage to the melons and cucumbers. The ground 
should be furrowed, four feet apart.one way. Make 
hills for the melons and cucumbers five feet apart, 
checker fashion, riant two hills of sweet corn be¬ 
tween the hills of melons and cucumbers. In the 
same row, and at the same time, either early or 
late corn may be used; and if it is desired to in¬ 
tensify, a little more radishes may be sown between 
the rows of corn and melons, etc. If the melon and 
Florida Strawberries Packed for Shipment. Fig. 392 
cucumbers are not desired, bush beans can be grown 
between the hills of corn. To get the most out of 
the latter crops when grown together, the rows 
should not be over three feet apart for the dwarf 
corn and 3% feet apart for the taller growing sorts. 
Plant two hills of bush beans between the hills of 
corn, planted at the same time. Radishes may also 
be grown between the rows of corn and beans. 
Early peas may be followed by celery, or late 
planting of early sweet corn, beets, beans or turnips. 
Sweet corn, planted June 1. 4*4 or five feet apart, 
with early celery between the rows, planted about 
the same time, can be handled to good advantage 
and with profit to the grower. Beans may also be 
grown between the hills of corn, making three 
money-making crops on the land at once. Soon as 
corn and beans have been marketed, clear off the 
stalks and vines, which will leave the land clear 
and in the proper shape for the cultivation and 
blanching of the celery. 
Early cabbage and spinach may be grown together 
with profit, also lettuce and cabbage. One hundred 
to 120 days are required to bring early cabbage in, 
lettuce G5 to 90 days, and spinach .”>0 to 55 days, 
according to variety. The two latter crops can be 
cleared off before becoming crowded by the cabbage. 
Mark the ground out in rows IS inches apart, plant 
early cabbage in every other row. and lettuce in the 
other rows. Beets and radishes may also be grown 
between the rows of cabbage. All may be cleared 
off by the time the cabbage is little more than half 
grown. Strawberry plants may also be grown be¬ 
tween the cabbage rows, leaving the plantation in 
good shape for Summer growth of the plants when 
the cabbage is cleared off. Early cabbage may be 
followed by celery, bush beans, beets or an early 
maturing variety of sweet corn and beans. 
Egg plant and tomatoes may have a late planting 
of lettuce grown between the hills or rows. Radishes 
may also be grown with these crops. Early plant¬ 
ings of lettuce and spinach should be followed by a 
root crop such as beets or carrots, or the ground 
may be planted to late tomatoes, or sweet corn and 
beans, or either one of the latter, as may be required. 
Lettuce can be grown to good advantage between 
the rows and hills of Spring-set strawberry plants 
to considerable advantage to the strawberry plants, 
as they will get more thorough cultivation during 
the growing period of the lettuce than they would 
be likely to receive if grown alone. 
Early maturing cabbage, lettuce, radishes or beets 
may be grown between the hills or rows of pole 
Lima beans, and cleared off before danger of being 
injured by growth of bean vines. Radishes may be 
grown to advantage between the rows of bush Limas. 
By procuring a kitchen garden seeding table, giv¬ 
ing time of the various crops from the sowing of 
seed to the time they are ready for use, much can 
be learned as to how to get the most out of the 
land by double and triple cropping and by rotations. 
When the various crops are grown so closely to¬ 
gether as outlined in the foregoing, it of course will 
be necessary to do all the cultivating with hand tools, 
such as garden hoes, rakes, weeders and wheel hoe. 
It is surprising how great a quantity of truck can 
be grown on an acre or two of well enriched soil 
when handled in the various crops in the manner 
suggested above. 
Here is kitchen garden seeding table, showing 
about the number of days required from the sowing 
of seed, of the various vegetables until ready for 
use: 
Asparagus . 
Years 
. 3- 4 
Beans, bush. 
Days 
- 45- 05 
Beets, Table ... 
Days 
Beans, pole . 
_ 65- 00 
. 00- 75 
Cabbage, early .. 
_100-120 
Brussels Sprouts. 
.100 120 
Cabbage, late ... 
_125-1 SO 
Carrots . 
. 75-120 
Celery . 
_125-150 
Cauliflower . 
.100-140 
Cueumber . 
_ 60- 85 
Corn. Sweet . 
. (15-100 
Endive . 
_ 50- 75 
Eggplant . 
Kale . 
.100-120 
Lettuce .i.. 
_ 65- 00 
Leek . 
.120-160 
Melons. Water .. 
_125-140 
Melons, Musk. 
.115-135 
Onions .. 
okra . 
Parsnip 
-125-150 
Parsley . 
loo 
Popper .... 
1 4.n.| >n 
Peas . 
. 50- 75 
Radish . 
Pumpkin . 
.100-120 
Spinach . 
as. on 
Salsify . 
.125-140 
Tomato . 
_100-135 
Squash, bush. 
. 00- 75 
Turnip .. 
Squash, late . 
.100-125 
IC. 
SUPPORT OF ADJACENT PROPERTY. 
I HAVE a neighbor who has opened a sand-pit. The 
pit is now 25 feet deep and they are within 20 feet 
of my line. They have four acres of land, which 
is very low on the street, and runs up to my line, 
which is high and valuable for building lots. This 
pit has ruined their place and is greatly depreciating 
the value of my place. Can you tell me how near they 
can legally come to my line, and is the place responsible 
for damages if they sell out? We are friendly neigh¬ 
bors. and I would like to remain on friendly terms, but 
it worries me to see them destroying their place and 
depreciating the value of mine; when it caves in it will 
ruin my building lots. h. n. j. 
New York. 
The best discussion of this matter is found in 
Reeves’ book on real property. He states that there 
exists by nature the right of every landowner to 
have his soil supported laterally, in its natural state, 
by the soil or structure of the neighboring pro¬ 
prietor. When, therefore, one makes an excavation 
upon his own land, in such a manner that the sand, 
clay, or other material of the adjoining land will 
fall into the pit or be disturbed if not artificially 
supported, and there is no special contract or sta¬ 
tute authorizing him to so dig. he must shore up or 
otherwise support the other’s soil, so as to retain it 
in its natural condition; or he will be liable in dam¬ 
age for the resulting injury. And this is true re¬ 
gardless of the location, contour, or constituent ma¬ 
terials of the neighboring land, in so far as these 
exist in a state of nature. Thus, the lower owner 
upon a hillside must support the soil of the upper 
owner, to as great an extent as is necessary to retain 
it in its natural and undisturbed condition. And, 
whether the properties be on a hill or a plain, the 
amount of such support required will depend, of 
course, upon the quality of the soil, grading from 
nothing or almost nothing in rocky sections to a 
heavy burden in places where the soil is sandy or 
from any other cause readily movable. This right 
to the lateral support of natural soil is absolute, 
unless restricted by contract or statute; and when 
it is interfered with, all that its owner needs to 
prove, in order to establish a cause of action, is 
that he has suffered damage becaues of such dis¬ 
turbance. He need not show that the excavation 
which caused his soil to cave in was done in any 
careless, negligent, or unskillful manner. You 
should, therefore, notify your neighbor in a friendly 
manner that he is endangering your land and that 
you will look to him to pay any damage which may 
be caused by his negligent excavation. He would 
be liable and not the land. m. d. 
“A door that needed to be open and would slam has 
been fitted to a small staple and a hook put on the 
woodwork back of the door when open. Now it stays 
open when we want it to,” says J. 
