GRASS FOR PERMANENT PASTURES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1750, 1 August 1884, Page 2

GRASS FOR PERMANENT PASTURES.

f A correspondent of the National I Stockman, after stating some of the e points in favor of permanent pastures 6 says—"There are two varieties of e grass which I find exceedingly valuable t in permanent pastures, viz., blue grass, e and red-top. Blue grass flourishes on s all limestone lands, and makes the best e sward of any grass I am acquaint a with. It starts early in spring, is iBR) j. injured by tramping or close grazing, j, and I believe it to be the most r nutritious of all the grasses. It is site ie prising how soon well-wintered cattle h will be fit for the butcher when pasit tured on this. One disadvantage is a the long time it takes to form a swatdj f. but to compensate for this, when once ,t formed it will, with fair treatment, I last a lifetime, fe'or this reason it -e should always be sown with" other >t grasses. My experience is that it takes four years to get the laud well set with blue-grass, and it will improve for seven years longer. I sow just as much of other grass as though I did not use the blue-grass, and then add one bushel of seed of the latter. In trie spring of 1879 I seeded ten acres, using one a bushel of blue-grass seed to the >f acre, and a liberal quantity, of clover ie and timothy, with a sprinkling of a other grasses, Neither that nor the e succeeding summer could I discofljft s any blue-grass, but the year follow™ )f it began to show, and now is crowding is out all other grasses. Orchard ,. :•• is best adapted to:.loamy or alluvialT y lands, and in seeding a permanent / is pasture. If there;.- are any spots of is black land or creek bottom, I there d seed heavily with this grass. Red-top n does best on the wet lands where other d tame grasses would, bo drowned out; but a little of it mixed with the other grasses will be of advantage on all t pastures. In fact the more varieties [r you can get to grow on the laud the ) greater the yield will be, and the cattle will thrive'better for it. : Ic I would largely increase the value of j' our grain farms, the comfort of our J stock, and the profits of the owner, if k more attention was paid to this subject j of permanent pasturage." |e It is suggested that farmers take a jj small plot of land, say one acre, manure e heavily, and cultivate thoroughly )r learn whether it would pay themWo employ sufficient help to work all the farm in the same way.