The Production of New and Improved Varieties of Timothy 373 



After the seed is sown (and this should be done as soon as the heads are 

 gathered), water the seed boxes carefully with a fine spray, in order to 

 prevent washing the seed out. A good way is to cover the box with an 

 open-mesh cloth, such as cheesecloth, and sprinkle the water on this 

 cloth until the soil is thoroughly wet. Then place the seed boxes in 

 the shade in a moist place, as on the north side of the house. It is a good 

 practice to keep the boxes covered with paper until the young plants 

 begin to appear, and it is important to keep them well watered at all 

 times. When the young plants are well up, thin them to about i inch 

 apart in the rows, leaving the strongest plants. 



The plants can be kept in the boxes until about the 1 5th of September, 

 when they should be planted in the field. About ten days or two weeks 

 before transplanting the plants to the field, they should be gradually 

 exposed to the full sunlight and dried out somewhat in order to harden 

 them up. (Read page 344 of this bulletin.) 



J. Transplanting to the field. — Choose a place in the field where the 

 plants may remain for at least two years without being disturbed. A 

 good piece of land should be chosen, but not necessarily the best; one 

 should take the ordinary soil of the farm, such as would be used 

 for timothy. Set the plants 2 feet apart in rows that are 4 feet apart. 

 Plant all the seedlings from one head in a row by themselves, so that there 

 is a row for each original selected head. If ten heads were originally 

 selected and fifty plants are grown from each head, there should be ten 

 rows 100 feet long, thus occupying a piece of land 40 by 100 feet. 



In transplanting the seedlings from the boxes, a time must be chosen 

 shortly after a good rain, when the soil is well moistened. The plants 

 should be set out at some period between the loth and the 20th of Sep- 

 tember, if possible, so that they may become well rooted before winter 

 comes on. It may be necessary to hoe them before winter, but this is 

 not likely to be the case if the land is well prepared before the planting. 



This plat may be designated as the " seedling test plat." 



4. Cultivating the seedlings. — In the early spring the seedlings should 

 be cultivated and hoed, and the cultivation and hoeing must be done 

 thereafter at sufficiently frequent intervals to keep the ground free from 

 weeds and in good condition, as in the case of any other crop, such as 

 com. These plants will produce a few culms each the following summer, 

 which should be cut early in order that the strength may go into the 

 general growth. Do not attempt to select the best plants the first season. 

 A safe judgment cannot be rendered until the second season. 



5. Selecting the best plants. — When the plants reach the stage for cut- 

 ting in the second summer, that is, when they are in full bloom, the final 

 selection of the best individuals can be made. Examine each row 



