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Show Feeding Is important, but to constantly Inv prove good dairy herds, like this one. presents a real management challenge to Utah's dairymen. It requires participation in the ( Dairy Herd Improvement (DMA) testing and record program and breeding to sires of ( genetic merit. ' Use Proper Fertilizer j To Get Grass Green j Fertilizer can be spread as soon as the snow melts and the frost is out of the ground. A light application of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate will produce results in a few days. The grass will grow rapidly and green up uniformly. There are three basic rules for good lawn care in Utah. First, apply nitrogen fertilizer two or three times during the growing season. Avoid fertilizing in the hot summer period. Second, clip the lawn to 2 inches high. Close-clipping weakens the grass. Third, water heavily and less frequently. One inch of water per week in spring and fall and two inches per week in summer is adequate. Nitrogen is the main fertilizer needed by lawns in Utah. You can apply 1 to 2 pounds of available nitrogen, per 1000 square feet of lawn area in the early spring. Repeat the application in late spring and again in late summer. The actual amount of a given fertilizer to apply depends upon its content of nitrogen. Here are some examples: Since ammonium nitrate is one-third nitrogen, apply 3 to 6 pounds per 1000' square feet. Spread this in March or early April, in May or early June, and in late August. It you prefer, use ammonium sulfate. It is one-fifth nitrogen. You can apply 5 to 10 pounds per 10(10 square feel Likewise, you can use urea which contains almost one-half nitrogen. Two to 4 pounds per 1000 square feet is adequate. The fertilizer should be sprinkled in immediately after spreading. Lawns containing a lot of clover grow well with little nitrogen fertilizer. Those who like to maintain clover in the lawn should add phosphate once every 2 to 4 years. Five pounds of concentrated superphosphate per 1000 square feet of lawn is sufficient. If clippings are left on the lawn, less fertilizer is needed. The blades of green grass feed the plant roots. Closely clipped lawns have starved and shallow root systems. Set the lawn mower to leave l' to 2 inches of grass. This will promote healthy lawn growt The daily use of water by lawns is determined by weather conditions. During the summer months, daily use approximates one-fourth inch per day Less water is needed in cool spring and fall periods. On deep fertile soils, apply about two inches of water at one sprinkling Sprinkle only once per week in summer In the hottest weather, you may need to sprinkle twice per week During the cool spring and fall periods, one watering every two weeks is adequate. Above all, it must be done with consistent care. It is not a task to leave to the children. |