ON LAYING DOWN LAND TO PERMANENT PASTURE.

Southland Times, Issue 1606, 16 July 1872, Page 2

ON LAYING DOWN LAND TO PERMANENT PASTURE.

[communicated.} The want of success so generally prevalent in the grass lands of this province may be a fair excuse for this attempt to deal with the subject of laying down land to permanent grass — a subject of so great importance that if this sketch should tend to discussion on the matter by the farmers of this district, much benefit might accrue to us all. It may, I think, be justly inferred that the system generally pursued is, with fewexceptions, a failure, and I will dwell on it no longer than to say that the texture of soil produced by three of four consecutive corn crops is sufficient to prevent the successful growth of permanent grass, even were the land uninjured in quality by such treatment. Without further preliminaries, I would point out that the subject seems to divide itself into three parts, firstly, the previous cropping and treatment of the landj secondly, the selection and sowing of proper seeds ; and thirdly, the after management. With regard to the first division, I must emphatically denounce the sowing of grass seeds on land foul with weeds and out of condition, as a mere waste of seed and labor, besides incurring loss of time, and possibly of patience. To put the soil into good heart cheaply and effectively, I know of no plan equal to consuming well manured green crops on the land by sheep. This plan also gives that firmness of subsoil so needed by young grasses. For this purpose I would suggest the growth of a mixture of rape and early white turnips, say one quart of rape and half-a-pint of turnip seed per acre, sown early in November, so that the ground may be cleared before the heavy rains of winter render it liable to be poached by the sheepfold. This crop should be well manured, and in addition to yard manure, say ten tons per acre spread and ploughed in early, I recommend the ufie of three cwts. ot bone, sown broadcast at seed time. In default of yard manure, an excellent crop might be expected from the use of four cwts. of bone alone, and under any circumstances 1 should advocate the use of some bone, the land here being generally wanting in phosphate of lime. The steamed bones on sale at the Meat Preserving Company's works will be found quite efficacious. I need hardly say that during the growth of this preparatory crop the hoe should be unsparingly used, freedom from weeds being most important. The sheepfold should be ploughed in as early as possible with a shallow furrow, and left to consolidate, and get what benefit it may from the winter frosts, and in spring the grain sown on the stale furrow, by no means using the plough at this season, as by it the weathered surface would be turned in, and a raw cold seed bed produced. The quantity of seed corn should be. much reduced ; certainly not more than twothirds of the ordinary allowance should be used. Coming to the second division of the subject, viz., seeds and sowing, we must bear in miad that it is permanent grass we would grow, not grass to be ploughed up again at the end of three, four, or five years. We must therefore discard the usual mixture of a bushel of rye grass and a few lbs of clover, and by a careful selection of various seeds endeavor to obtain a close sole at once. jFor this purpose the following mixture has been found satisfactory : — Meadow foxtail, 2 lbs ; Timothy, 2 lbs ; Cocksfoot 4 lbs ; Smooth-stalked poa, 2 lbs ; Hard fescue, 2 lbs; Rough-stalked poa, 3 lbs; Tallfescue, 2 lbs ; Yellow trefoil, 1 lb ; Meadow fescue, 2 lbs ; Cow grass, 3 lbs ; Italian rye grass, 6 lbs ; Alsyke, 2 lbs ; Perennial rye grass, 8 lbs j white clover, 4 lbs. Sound and clean seeds being a great desideratum, they should be carefully selected, and false economy on this point avoided. The grain being covered, the land should be rolled flat, and the seeds sown, going twice over the land ; sowing the light grasses by themselves, and then the clovers and Timothy. Cover with the brush or chain harrow, and roll lightly. After harvesting the grain, it will be well to roll again with a heavy roller. Having thus covered the land with

' permanent grasses, the object of the farmer is to maintain and develop them, and to this end it is necessary to establish a strona growth of the roots, which can be attained only by allowing growth of the leaf. To accomplish this, it is found the best 'plan to let the first crop stand for bay, taking: care to mow early before the seed has formed, and then to apply a light coat of yard manure in the autumn. This process may seem expensive, but I "believe all on consideration will agree that ten acres of good grass, that will fatten, are better than twenty that will only carry stores ; and I think the ten can at any rate be produced for the same money. In calling the attention of the Southland farmers to the foregoing system, I may add that I have seen it satisfactorily adopted on some 200 acres of medium land in England, after three or four other plans had failed to produce the much-desired sward. I hope that this communication- may lead to others on the subject, from practical authorities. COIONUS.