A PASTURE HANDBOOK 23 



Early spring seedings are frequently successful, but often it is diffi- 

 cult to get on the fields sufficiently early in the spring in the Northern 

 States. Much earlier grazing is possible from fall seeding, wliich is 

 very desirable. In the Southern States, where the permanent grasses 

 are distinctly summer grasses, early spring seeding is advisable. This 

 is also true in the Northern States on extremely heavy soils where 

 heaving causes a severe loss of seedlings during the winter. 



Clovers and other legumes should be broadcast on the grass seedings 

 in late winter or very early spring. This is particularly desirable on 

 heavy clay soils, as generally the loss of legumes from heaving is 

 much more severe than that of the grasses, if seeded in the fall. 



SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES 



The amount and distribution of rainfall are often limiting factors 

 in the estabhshment and maintenance of pastures. Before a good 

 sod is formed, the loss of rainfall by run-off may be so great that the 

 soil moisture becomes deficient for growth during periods of drought. 

 Even on old pastures drought effects are first apparent on the slopes 

 where a considerable part of the rainfall is lost as rim-off. To con- 

 serve the rainfall by reducing the run-off and thus provide better 

 conditions for seed germination and subsequent plant growth, small 

 contour ridges may be used. 



To establish contour structures on land that is being prepared for 

 seeding to pasture, one should first establish contour lines with a 

 level or a surveying instrument. A satisfactory method of con- 

 structing contour ridges consists in making a series of bacldurrows 

 with a gang plow or some other breaking plow, leaving strips (fig. 6) 

 about 6 to 12 inches wide to be cut with a disk. The crests of the 

 ridges or centers of the backfurrows should be the width of a double 

 disk apart or wider depending on the slope of the land. The narrow 

 ridges and broad, shallow, flat-bottom furrows resulting from this 

 method of seedbed preparation do not interfere with mowing. Such 

 plowing, disking, and rolling in preparing the land for seeding can be 

 done ordinarily at the rate of 1 acre in 2 to 3 hours and cost but little 

 more than the ordinary methods of seedbed preparation. Following 

 the first heavy rain some hand work may be necessary to repair 

 breaks in the low places. After the grass becomes better estabhshed, 

 damage from overtopping during heavy rains will diminish. During 

 the first year there may be some sliifting of soil from the crests of the 

 ridges to the troughs between them but with a complete sod the 

 second year, this sliifting should be almost entirely stopped. 



