ON SOWING GRASS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3126, 28 July 1892, Page 3

ON SOWING GRASS.

The following- is abstracted from an article in tho Ohrietehurch Press, of .Inly ICth :—Tho purchase of grass seed is a matter of importance in its bearing upon the question of noxious wends, and it is considered that the most, rational method of buying , seed is to do so on tho !<tnlk. In other words, our merchants would do ■well to find out who among - tha fanners ara shutting up grass for seed, and then send a practical man to inspect the growing crop ; for the presence of weeds can in this way be more readily detected than by microscopical examination of staple after threshing. Grass may be sown both in autumn and the spring, and it is curions to note that autumn-sown grass will nearly always give a better crop of hay in the summer than that which was sown in the previous spring. This may be due to the fact that when grass has been sown in tho spring with a grain crop farmersfrequeutlyfeed their stubbles too bare in the autumn, or the springsown grass may be handicapped by the grain crop to an extent from which it does not readily recover. Farmers whose land is clean will find it to their advantage to grow their own seed, and when this i< not in view autumn is undoubtedly the best Reason for sowing. There i 3 the possibility that the spring sowing may be a failure, in which case we recommend that the land be ploughed and sowed with Cape barley and grass seed. Antumngown grass has mocit to fear froai nn flttaik of tho grub, but before this pest has committed any serious ravages, the barley in an average season will be ready for sheep, which animals in treading the ground will kill a goodly number of the grubs, besides consolidating the soil to an extent which will materially check their operations. Sheep, it ir.ay be added, will not do tho young grass any harm as iotig as the supply of barley lasts, bit they should be turned on in such numbers as will ensure the rapid completion of their task. Of course, they should not be present when the ground is wet and sloppy. Spring sowing is usually effected in eonjunction with, or as soon as possible after a sowing of the grain crop ; but the practicn of sowiug grass and clover seed behind a grain drill and harrowing both in with the same harrows cannot be too strongly deprecated. The drill (more especially if it has two rows of coultern as all drills should), leaves behind it a succession of ridges and furrows ; into these latter the seeds fall, to be immediately buried by the harrows beyond all hope of germination. It is true that a fairly good sole of grass has occasionally been obtained by this system, but that does not affect the contention that a considerable proportion of the seed has been wasted. As opposed to this system, it ia recommended that the grain be harrowed in and the ground then rolled with a Cambridge roller. This implement will leave the surface fiat with all lumps crushed, and the little furrows two or three inches apart. The grass seed may be sown—always by machinery—and the ground harrowed across the track of the roller, when the little ridges will be levelled and the miniature furrows filled, and while every seed is covered none is buried. The use of very light chain harrows is advocated or> better still, a bush harrow, of which contrivance a very pod example was recently inspected. To a 12-foot beam there "were attached axles, fitting the disc harrow wheels. Bushes were tied to this beam, and arranged as the ordinary bush harrow. The beam kept the front end of tho bushes from dragging up the soil, and the wheels served to considerably lessen the draustht. It is pointed out in conclusion that while the frozen meat and dairying industries arc combining to enhance the value of grass, it cannot be too strongly enforced upon readers that as the value of grass increases, so the value between good and indifferent pastures becomes proportionately greater.