File:American farmers' manual (1904) (17932186680).jpg

Title: American farmers' manual
Identifier: americanfarmersm19pete_1 (find matches)
Year: 1904 (1900s)
Authors: Peter Henderson & Co; Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection
Subjects: Vegetables Seeds Catalogs; Farms Catalogs; Grasses Seeds Catalogs
Publisher: New York : Peter Henderson & Co.
Contributing Library: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library
Digitizing Sponsor: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Library

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OFpEI^eD Orl PAGES 2 RflD 3. EXTRACTS FROU SOME OF THE TRIBUTES OF PRAISE BT THE AGRICUI.TURAI. PRESS. Prom "Country Gentleman," published in Albany, N. Y. ORASS CULTURE. By invitation of Messrs. Peter Henderson & Co. of New York, a represent- ative of tliis paper visited tlieir experimental grass plats. To reproduce English turf in the face of American drouths and heat may not be possible; to 'better the common clover and timothy practice, ■with its frequent thin results and speedy running' out, is surely feasible. Instead of three or four varieties, ten to fifteen or twenty are used ; tall and short grasses, coarse and fine, late and early sorts, are deftly combined in vary- ing proportions according to the end in view. Below the taller grasses 'was a thick mat of finer kinds, and the close, rich turf hid every particle of soil. There did not seem to he room for another spear of grass. Going over to an ordinary timothy meadow near by, the contrast 'was striking. The individual spears in a foot square could easily be counted; "standing-room" for more 'was abundant. The soil had not been "worked for all it 'was worth," and the thoughtful farmer might do some suggestive figuring. From " American Agriculturist," published in New York City. BEST GRASSES FOR HAY AND FOR PASTURE. By a judicious choice of seeds, mixtures have been effected which will give con- stant pasturage in this climate from early spring until late in the autumn. Timothy, and in many parts "timothy and clover," is the standard grass in the country. While timothy is a valuable grass, there are some other kinds so much better, which last longer, yield a heavier crop, will stand various climatic and soil conditions better, It is astonishing that the majority of farmers should still stick to the timothy without even giving one or more of the other kindsand mixtures a fair trial. It should be remembered that a discriminate mixture of grasses
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and clover gives a better result than does any kind gro'wn hy itself, for the simple reason that mixtures are bound to gro'w closer to- gether on the ground, and thereby their component species protect one another from undue heat and drought. Such mixtures are far superior to timothy or "timothy and clover," or any one grass, costing hut a little more, lasting m.uch longer, and giving frequently nxore than double the yield. From "Farm and Home," published in Springfield, Mass. MORE HAY A9i» BETTER PASTURE. Bare pastures are a source of loss to the farmer. The broad acres that must be devoted to grass are paying taxes and interest, and if not covered with luxuriant hay and pasture are breeding weeds. If seeded with well-proportioned mixtures of proper grasses, even the steep hillside will yield pasture and hay, which every farmer knows is rich with money. The tendency to run out and the many thin stands obtained with timothy and clover, or with any separate grasses, led to the trial of mixtures of imported and other grasses which have become naturalized in America. The natui-al sod is formed of a mixture of many grasses, each variety having a certain use in meeting the varying conditions of growth. The enormous yield of nearly 4y2 tons of good hay per acre should convince any one that more hay and better pasture can be gro'wn with mixtures than with timothy and clover alone, as, under the very same conditions, the latter yielded less than a ton and a half (2,760 lbs.) per acre. From "Rural New Yorker," published in New York City. THE VALUE OF GRASS SEED MIXTURES. This firm (P. H. & Co.) has been engaged in a long series of experiments in making up mixtures of grass seeds for hay and permanent pasture, and also for lawns. The underlying idea seems to be that these different grasses, having different root systems, will occupy the ground more fully if a number of different kinds are sown together. The first piece we visited was one that was seeded with about three bushels per acre of Henderson's Special Grass Mixture for Hay and Permanent Pasture for Light Soil. Mow- ing had begun in this plot, and it was so thick on the bottom that much diflaculty was experienced in getting the mower through it. The earliness of the grasses as com- pared with Timothy is a desirable feature, as the haying season comes on at a time when there is little pressing work going on, and the hay is all in the barn before grain harvest. Few of the old-time methods of seed- ing 'will give an amount of hay equal to this first cutting, and after the hay is off, the grasses 'will startup again so quick- ly that fine pasturage will be afforded, or at least Hi ton per acre more hay may he cut in August or September. EBia^^-^/--v^ - •• We are pleased to offer ADVICE FREE on subjects in connec- tion with PREPARATION and MAINTENANCE of GRASS I.AKDS, FORAGE AND GREEK CROPS, SOIIiIlTG, ROTATIOir, SIIiOS, etc., etc.

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