1883. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
173 
Orchard Grass.— Dar,tylis gfomerata , 
Lewis Sanders, Esq., the well known farmer 
of Grass Hills, Kentucky, gives in*a late Louis¬ 
ville paper, the results of more than thirty years 
experience with the different varieties of grasses. 
After testing thoroughly a vast many sorts, he 
gives a decided preference to Orchard grass, and 
we copy what he says of it, together with his di¬ 
rections for saving the seed and smying it, We 
should be glad to learn whether the experience of 
farmers in other sections of the Union agrees with 
that of Mr, Sanders in Kentucky; 
My observation and experience has induced me 
to rely mainly on orchard grass and red clover; 
indeed, I now sow no other sort of grass seed. 
Blue grass and white clover are indigenous to our 
soil—they come in of themselves. I do not look 
upon them by any means as intruders, but grand 
auxiliaries; these, with orchard grass and red clo¬ 
ver, make the best pasture. 
Orchard grass and red clover mixed make the 
best hay of all the grasses for this climate, [Ken¬ 
tucky;] it is nutritious, and w r ell adapted as food 
for stock. I perfer orchard grass to all others; it 
is ready for grazing in the spring, ten to twelve 
days sooner than blue grass, or any other that af¬ 
fords a full bite. When grazed down, and the 
stock turned off, it will be ready for regrazing in 
less than half the time required for blue grass.' It 
stands a severe drouth better than any other 
grass; when all other sorts ace dried up for the 
want of rain, it keeps green and growing. In sum¬ 
mer it will grow more in a day than blue grass 
will in a week, If the ground is properly pre¬ 
pared, a sufficiency of seed sown on it, the or¬ 
chard grass takes possession and keeps it. It will 
not spread, hut it keeps out noxious weeds and 
intruders. I think it is from its abundant roots 
that most of its good qualities are derived. 
Sowing the Seed .—Prepare the ground nicely by 
frequent plowing and barrowing, as is customary 
in sowing flax or hemp, as early in the spring as 
convenient; the sooner the better. Sow one bush¬ 
el and a half of orchard grass seed to the acre, and 
three or four pints of red clover seed. It is of 
great irhportance that the seed he cast uniformly 
over the ground. Mark off in suitable widths for 
a cast of light seed; sow half the seed, then mark 
off crosswise, and sow the remainder. Sow the 
red clover seed at the same time, but separately. 
If the ground should be cloddy, the back of a two 
horse harrow would be better. 
Orchard grass is naturally disposed to form and 
grow in tussocks. The best preventive is a good 
preparation of the ground, and a sufficiency of 
seed uniformly sown. 
Weeds will spring up in May, wherever strong, 
and will crowd and perish out the young plants of 
orchard grass. To remedy this evil it is absolute¬ 
ly necessary to go over the ground with a keen 
scythe, and iftow down weeds, grass, and all. as if 
you were mowing a meadow for hay. This should 
be done early in June, according to the season. 
There will then be fine fall grazing ‘for young 
stock. 
# This work done, you will have a fine plat for 
either a permanent meadow, or for pasturage. 
Every farmer ought to raise his own grass seed, 
and have some to sell, which will soon be the case 
if a few bushels of seed only are procured and put 
m as I have described. He can then sow his seed 
how and when he pleases, and a little experience 
will teach him the*best time and the best method. 
Grazing orchard grass after the middle of Janua¬ 
ry, diminishes the yield of seed. 
To save the Seed .—The seed head does not ripen 
regularly; if let to stand too long, much of the 
best seed shatters out; if cut too early, the seed 
in the lower part of the head is immature—prac¬ 
tice, with judgment, will fix upon the right time! 
The seed stem puts itp above the blades of the 
grass, and the heads of clover. An expert cra- 
dler is best—the sickle may be used—tie up in 
sheaves-—put about twenty-five in a shock, no cap 
—to remain a short time—some of the immature 
seed will ripen in the shock. After all the'mois¬ 
ture is exhausted , it is then ready for thrashing or 
treading out. With the rake and hay fork you 
get off the straw—there is not much chaff. I use 
three sizes of riddles; the first a coarse one to get 
clear of the remaining straw, &c., then pass it 
twice through a finer one, allowing the seed to 
pass through easily : then use the fine riddle, free¬ 
ing the bulk from imperfect seed and dust. It is 
now ready for barreling or for sacks; it ought not 
to remain in a large bulk. 
As soon as the seed is cut mow for hay; the 
sooner after the seed is cut the better. The sec¬ 
ond crop will be the better by mowing the field 
soon after the seed is cut. This second crop 
should be the main reliance for hay for the farm, 
and there is no grass that produces such good 
hay for every kind of stock, horses and mules in¬ 
cluded. 
Orchard grass is not a good hinder; if sown on 
steep hill sides, a plentiful cast of blue grass seed 
should be sown with it. 
The late Judge Peters of Pennsylvania, (who 
was at the head of all agricultural improvements 
in that great state for many years,) preferred it 
to all other grass. So did that spirited and intel¬ 
ligent gentleman, John Hare Powell, of cattle ce¬ 
lebrity, of the same state. 
Experiments with Potatoes. 
For several years my potatoes have failed with 
the rot. In the fall of 1851,1 thought I would try 
my hill land, without manure. I took my team, 
plow and drag, and measured off 150 square rods 
of ground, and commenced plowing as deep as the 
plow would go, about nine inches. The next May. 
I dragged it until the top was very mellow. I then 
took the one-horse plow and marked it out three 
feet square. As seed was hard to be got at one 
dollar per bushel, I procured three bushels of very 
small potatoes, and all that I could find that w r as 
as large as a good sized hickory-nut, I cut in pieces 
and put three pieces in a hill. I had one half 
bushel of quite large potatoes; these I cut and 
planted by themselves, which made three and a 
half bushels of potatoes, all told. These I planted 
on 149 square rods of ground. I planted the mid¬ 
dle of May. When my potatoes were up about 
four inches high, I plowed them out both ways 
with the small plow, and hoed them very well; I 
then took half a bushel of unleached ashes and 
half a bushel of plaster and mixed together, and 
put about one large table-spoonful on the side, of 
each hill, except two rows through the middle of 
the piece, on which I put nothing. In about 
two weeks I plowed them out again both ways, 
