SEEDING TO GRASS. 249 



a bushel of seed to the acre. Spring wheat and barley are inter- 

 mediate for the purpose between rye and oats. 



" It is usually more certain to rely on a slight artificial cover- 

 ing with soil, than the natural covering which may or may not 

 take place by a shower of rain after the action of early spring 

 frost, which, however, may sometimes succeed perfectly. The 

 pressure of a common farm roller on clover or grass seed, sown 

 on the freshly harrowed soil, covers most of it slightly, and is 

 one of the best means for insuring germination. Another good 

 way to cover the fine seed is to pass an evenly made brush har- 

 row over it. This harrow is easily and cheaply constructed by 

 placing several branches cut from a thickly set tree side by side, 

 and stringing them together by running a stout stake through 

 the forks at the cut ends, taking care that no large projections 

 root into the ground in passing. Such a harrow, skillfully made, 

 will leave the ground nearly as smooth as a floor. After the 

 grain has been removed, it is well to look over the field and sow 

 a few more seeds where the grass seems too thin." 



The following upon this topic is by Prof. J. W. Sanborn, of 

 Missouri : 



" I have had but little of the bitter experience complained of 

 by many in sowing grasses with other crops. Grass is, in its 

 early stages, a slow grower, and I can get good results in grain, 

 and under the best conditions, a crop of grass the first year. On 

 a fine tilth and a fertile soil, I think few will fail to secure good 

 grass with a light seeding of grain. Grass alone, sown in the 

 spring, is out-grown by the rapid growing annual weeds, which 

 have to be cut or the misery of their seeding is experienced. 



" For several years on a large farm I grew little or nothing 

 except grass. When I had corn and raised no other grain, I 

 sowed the grass occasionally in the corn after the last hoeing. I 

 have done much seeding in August, and some on the early frosts 

 of spring, or late spring snows (the latter method is a bad one), 

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