COVER GRASS SEEDS 287 



and save much seed, besides giving better stands than 

 are commonly secured. These drills will also seed blue- 

 grass and timothy quite well, though to do so the land 

 should be very fine and smooth. An efficient leveler to 

 precede a grass or clover seeding drill is made by taking 

 two pieces of 2"x6" stuff 8' long, setting these on edge 

 like the runners of a sled, spacing them to be parallel 

 and 6' or 8' apart. Between these, connecting them at 

 right angles, place 4 cross pieces of the same dimension 

 stuff, each piece set on edge at the same level. This is 

 drawn by a rather long hitch so that it drags earth with 

 each of the 4 cross pieces (five may be provided) and 

 each one deposits something in a low place and aids in 

 scraping off the high places. A little weight may or 

 may not be needed to make this leveler operate well, de- 

 pending on the looseness of the soil. It pays well hi 

 sowing grass and clover seeds to have the land fine, firm 

 and smooth. 



Covering the Seed. The lightest covering must be 

 given to very small seeds such as bluegrass; other 

 stronger seeds, such as timothy and brome grass, may 

 be covered half an inch or more deep and yet find their 

 way through. Ordinarily, if the seed is sown alone, a 

 bush harrow may be used to good advantage, or a plank 

 drag will rub the seed sufficiently into the earth. If 

 the seed is sown with a nurse-crop it may be sown in 

 front or behind the drill; if in front, some of it will be 

 lost but commonly enough will be covered to a proper 

 depth to give a stand. 



Seeding zvith a Nurse-Crop. In sowing grass seed in 

 the fall it is the almost universal custom to use a nurse- 



