GEASSES. 195 



These localities are the exception rather than the 

 role. Generally the practice of sowing the grass seed 

 with the grain crop is based on sound business prin- 

 ciples. 



The desirability of sowing two or more kinds of 

 grass seed together must depend largely upon the 

 adaptability of the grasses to the locality and the 

 purpose for which the crop is grown. 



The plants should mature at about the same time. 

 It may be laid down as a rule, that for hay it does 

 not pay to grow one plant with another when it is not 

 in itself adapted to the conditions uader which it is 

 grown when sown alone. If it does not pay to sow 

 alone it will not pay to sow with another crop. The 

 introduction of such a plant reduces the yield, by oc- 

 cupying land which could have been more profitably 

 occupied by a plant adapted to the conditions existing 

 there. In this respect it is a weed. It is a plant 

 out of place. 



Roots never fully occupy the soil. Those of differ- 

 ent plants occupy different portions of it. The roots 

 of timothy grow near the surface. Glover roots grow 

 deeper. Thus to a certain extent they do not inter- 

 fere with each other. When medium red clover 

 is sown with timothy the former usually dies after 

 the second crop, leaving the decaying roots and stems 

 to furnish their acquired fertility to the timothy and 

 succeeding crops. The holes left by the decaying 

 roots may perhaps in some cases improve the mechan- 

 ical condition of the soil. 



In some localities timothy does not reach its 'best 

 development until it has been down two or three 

 years. In the meantime the clover may occupy 



