THE SEED BED. 45 



THE SEED UKI> FOR (JKASSES AND CLOVEKS. 



The idoiil svi'il l)('(l foi- <^rjiss(>s uiid clovers is u Hnn l)ut friable lower 

 soil, with loose, wcll-tillecl toj) soil. To produce this condition 

 riMiuires carefnl tillaj^'e for se\-eral yeais prccedii.u- tlie sowini^-. 'I'lie 

 soil should contain sullicient moisture to insure (he vounu' plants a <'ood 

 start in case there should )>e a detii-ient rainfall after sowinj^-. Seed 

 sown on a dr\ soil niav receixe sutKcient rainfall to jjerininatc, hut not 

 enouj^h to sui)i)ly the \ oiuiij plants with the necessary moisture^. (Jare- 

 ful preparation of the seed l>e(l is more essential in seedin«>' j^rasses 

 than in seedin«i- ahn<jst any othei- crop, and failur(> to obtain a stand 

 entails a "greater loss. Land that has been planted to a cultivated crop, 

 for which the soil has bcM'ii well tilled and wiiicli has received clean and 

 level cultivation, niav in most cases l)e well titted for sei^lino- orasscs 

 by diskino- and han-owinj^- without plowinj^-, provided the trash be 

 removed. When diskin*^ the disk should always be lapped one-half 

 on each round, thuscoverin*^- the field twice, and oenerally it is well to 

 go over the field a second time at ri^ht an<iles to the first disking-. 

 A smoothing harrow should follow the disk. Well-cultivated land has 

 these advantages: The weeds have been exterminated, the moisture 

 has been conserved, and the top soil is in good tilth. Fall plowing is 

 i:esirable on land that settles well through the wintei- and that does not 

 l)low J)adly, but there is nuicli soil on which fall ])lowing can not be 

 done advantageously when spring seeding is intended. In any case as 

 long a period as possible should elapse between plowing and. seeding, 

 but during that time the top soil should bo kept loose and clean with 

 the disk or drag. During this period the soil settles, the large spaces 

 are tilled, and the moisture is diffused through the plowed soil. Disk 

 ing the soil before plowing is advisable, as it cuts up the trash if there 

 is any, and pulverizes the soil turned under so that it settles more 

 quickly. The use of the subsurface packer or the disk set straight and 

 run in the direction of the furrow also helps greatly to firm the soil. 

 The use of either of these implements should follow the plow by the 

 least possible number of hours. Stubble land for fall seeding may in 

 some cases best be plowed and in others disked, depending on a great 

 variety of circumstances, but in any case the sooner the soil is pre- 

 pared after cutting the grain the better, and it is imperative that the 

 surface be kept stirred and clean up to the time of seeding. 



ANNUAL FORAGE CROPS. 



>SoR(iHUM. 



Sorghum {And?'opogon soi^ghum) is one of the most important annual 

 forage grasses of the United States. It is grown throughout the South 

 and well to the west on the Great Plains. It resists drought better 



