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Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1886
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204 adding Bluegrass for permanent pasture, unless we depend on its "coming in," as it so generally does. On the University farms we will make more use of Orchard grass. We have not found remarkably heavy seeding essential. A bushel of Timothy to five acres, and one of clover to ten acres, has given us good results. Blue, Orchard and Fescue should be sown at much higher rate. Either grass or clover should get well started in spring before being grazed, but it is a mistake to go to an extreme in this. There is much loss where the grass is allowed to remain without reasonably close grazing. Understocking is only poorer economy than overstocking. It is not proven in the west that either meadows or pastures are helped by having a great growth at opening of winter. Nearly all grasses lose value as they become fully mature; some become comparatively worthless. Cutting may be too early, reducing the yield, but it is more commonly too late. Neither grass nor clover needs to have the seeds developed to make the best hay. Close cutting is harmful, especially in hot, dry weather. Orchard grass and clover quickly reshade the ground; Timothy quite slowly. A light mulch after cutting would be helpful. Top dressing is the only practicable method of manuring grass lands. Early fall or early spring applications will do most good. For the latter the manure should be well rotted. The time for general use of commercial fertilizers has not yet come. We have seen no more surprising effects from the application of stable manure than when applied to grass lands. What seems a thin and uneven "stand" may often be caused to make a luxuriant growth and well cover the ground by a liberal coating of such manure. GRAIN YIELDS. B Y T. F. HUNT. The table below gives the yield per acre of the grains therein contained, estimated from the quantity grown on plats varying from one-twentieth to one-eightieth of an acre. The land was moderately even. The wheat was planted about Sept. 20, 1885; the oats and barley April 12, 1886. The wheat was harvested July 5-10; the barley July 8, and the oats July 18.
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