656 Journal of Agriculture. [10 Nov., 1908. 



Preparation of Seed Bed. 



In fitting the soil fox a crop that is to occupy land for a series of 

 years, it is unquestionably sound practice to do the work thoroughly and 

 well from start to finish. The chief desiderata are a well cleaned, firm, 

 and mellow seed bed, fine tilth, and a high fertility potential. To obtain 

 these under Victorian conditions, it will usually be necessary either to pre- 

 cede the grasses and clovers with a bare fallow, or else to preface them 

 with a preparatory crop which will leave the soil in good heart and in 

 fair working condition. A true fallow crop, such as maize or sorghum, 

 which has been generously manured and subjected to continuous summer 

 cultivation, would form an excellent preparation for pasture plants. The 

 soil would not only be clean and in good heart, but, in addition, the 

 succeeding grasses would benefit largely from the sub-soiling effects of 

 the deep penetrating root systems of the preceding crop. 



If the immediately preceding crop has been a shallow rooted plant, 

 a 6 inch or 7 inch furrow should be turned as the initial operation in the 

 preparation of the seed bed. The land should then be disced, harrowed 

 and rolled again and again till the desired tilth is obtained. It will 

 probably be found necessary to work obstinate patches an infinite number 

 of times to effect this ; but of such importance is this factor in the establish- 

 ing of a good sward that it were better to delay grass seeding for a whole 

 season rather than court disaster on an ill-prepared seed bed. When the 

 preceding crop has been a good subsoiler, it may in some cases be sufficient 

 to have the land thoroughly disced, and then worked down into a good 

 tilthy seed bed, but it must be borne in mind that wherever the land has 

 been persistently ploughed at about the same depth for a number of years, 

 or where lime has been heavily or frequently applied an impermeable pan 

 will most likely have formed, and this will need to be thoroughly broken 

 up, either by deeper ploughing or by sub-soiling before a satisfactory 

 sole of grass can be obtained. 



Low-lying paddocks require to be pipe-drained, heavily dressed with 

 caustic or water slaked lime, and thoroughly aerated by vigorous cultivation 

 given at a time when the land is in "good season," that is, when it contains 

 just sufficient moisture to work freelv without tending to poach. Speaking 

 generally in so far as the seed bed is concerned, the Victorian farmer may 

 be said to have comparativelv few difficulties to contend with, and if he can 

 only be induced to view the preparation of the land for grass as seriously 

 as he does the working of the grain and hay fields he will assuredly 

 succeed in providing the desired conditions for a successful " strike " of 

 grass. 



Manuring of Seed Bed. 



In order to insure a good germination and to secure the young growth 

 against the effects of competition, frost, and drought, it is imperative that 

 the well tilled surface soil be plentifully supplied with readily assimilable 

 forms of plant food. In most soils it will pay to give a dressing of 5 to 

 10 cwts. of lime per acre after the first ploughing, and this should be sup- 

 plemented by a mixed phosphatic and potassic manure. Probably the 

 following dressing would yield good results in the recognised grass dis- 

 tricts of "Victoria : — 



Thomas phosphate ... ... 2 cwt. per acre. 



Kainit ... ... ■•• 2 cwt p>er acre. 



