Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 January 1875 — Seeding to Grass Without Grain. [ARTICLE]

Seeding to Grass Without Grain.

Shade kills glass; hence a forest, if dense, has fio grass. In a close orchard or a deeply shaded yard it is difficult to establish a dense sod. In our village, in the more densely shaded parts, it is impossible to start and continue a growth of grass. Orchard grass is an exception ; but this grows in tufts, making an uneven stand of grass. A very thick sowing, well established, will remedy this to a certain extent, but a rich soil is necessary to a foothold; our common grasses, accustomed to field growth, require the sun and air. This is the reason that a thick stand of grain is hurtful to a seeding of glass. Sow your corn in drills on a good soil; cultivate until the crop has a good start, and the grass, should it start up, will become spindled, and finally die, or be of no value. Thus, in a heavy growth of grain, the seeding has but little advance, however gooa the season may be. Oats, our strongest grower, if grown thick, will almost ruin 3 the young seeding, even after it is started and gives promise. The grain sown thinner, there is more chance for the grass. So a crop of clover will keep under the timothy and other grasses sown with it. One of the most successful grass-growers is our friend Smith, who sows two parts of timothy to one of clover. This yields a good crop of clover' the first year, but leaves also a chance for the grass, which, the second and other years following, makes a good stand. In this way Mr, Smith gets Iris heavy sod heretofore mentioned in the- Journal. It will be seen that the principle here points to the seeding to grass without the grain. And this is practiced successfully to a considerable extent. Where the ground is rich and in good order, a thin sprinkling of

grain may be admitted. Some hold that it will aid the young grass by its partial protection from the sun. In a long, severe drought, it may; hut in such a case the grain is light and affords little protection. Grass-seed sown without the grain, if sown quite early, will succeed best. The winter moisture, and the comparatively cool weathertaat follows, will sufficiently favor it to establish it under any circumstances; if the soil is good it will afford a crop the same season, and if the aftermath is retained a better crop the year following. This should be done, at least where the crop can be used; and where not used it is Letter to sow thus without the grain and sell the crop, as then the grass will be established. It is one of the greatest misfortunes to have a failure in seeding, and only second to it to have a partial success; we cannot afford to wait to have the grass come in. A crop may be insured by properly preparing the ground and seeing that it is sufficiently rich. This can best be done late in the fall, if the weather will permit. After the land is plowed and smoothed with the harrow, give it a coat of manure if it needs it. If the soil is quite poor the manure should not be scant, but fine and evenly spread, and then harrowed in. Thus mixed with the top soil the surface is enriched just where the top soil wants the enrichment to start and establish it. By applying the manure after, the fall rains the nitrates will not be washed out of the soil, the ground will be made mellow by the frost and be in condition for early seeding—the best time in our experience being when the last frosts of spring are stirring tlie soil. A good plan is to sow on the late snows, or, if it is desired to do it later, harrow in the seed with a light harrow or draw a brush drag over it. If the seeding is deferred till this time there is no need of harrowing in the fall; let this be done just before the seed is sown, to be harrowed again after. This insures the crop if no grain is sown to choke it out. The manure will quicken it. It will appear with the first warm weather, grow from the winter moisture if there is no other, and soon shade itself and thus in a measure defy the sun and driving winds if the season should thus open unfavorably. In ordef to do it successfully it will be seen that the seed must not be spared; you want a thick, even set. This is different from sowing sparingly on poor or badly run land, badly put in, as is too often the case. — F. G., in Live Stock Journal.

—An injunction against a New Haven manufacturer of vulcanized rubber for dental-plates was recently rendered valueless by his strange conduct. Being summoned before the court at Hartford, it took four xhen to get him on board the train, as he said he had a warning that the train would be wrecked; and when he reached the court he declared that it had been wrecked and he had been killed, his spirit only being present before the Judge. Being asked why he had not obeved the summons before, he said Tie had been advised not to by “ the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Judge told him that no cant was wanted there, and he remarked: “ That’s what Festus said to Paul," and as nothing more could be got out of him he was supposed to be crazy and was discharged, and is still at work on his rubber plates. —ls you say to yourself, “ To-dav I mean to be happy,” It is a rash promise, a hasty project.' But if we say, “Tomorrow I mean to give some one pleasure,” it is an amiable intention which will rarely deceive your hopes. Such conduct is generous and delicate in the extreme and cannot fail to bear good fruit. ■ >