PERENNIAL FORAGE GRASSES 



In order to secure a stand containing a desired percentage 

 of different species of grasses and legumes, it is necessary to 

 sow the same percentages of the amount of seed required for 

 a complete stand when sown alone, making such correction as 

 may be necessary on account of difference in percentage of 

 viable pure seed. Further, an additional amount of seed, 

 varying from 10 to 80 per cent., is added because of the ability 

 of the land to support more plants when two or more species 

 are sown together. As an illustration, let it be supposed that 

 15 pounds of timothy seed containing 88 per cent, of viable 

 pure seed, 10 pounds of red clover seed containing 95 per cent, 

 of viable pure seed, and 8 pounds of alsike clover containing 

 90 per cent, of viable pure seed are required when sown alone, 

 and that a mixture is desired consisting of 50 per cent, timothy, 

 25 per cent, each of red and alsike clover, and the per cent, of 

 viable pure seed in the commercial samples to be used are 80, 

 90, and 85 respectively, and that a stand of 50 per cent, greater 

 is possible on account of the mixture, the amount of seed 

 required will be shown in the following table: 



21. Pasture Grasses. A considerable portion of the live stock 

 of the United States has thus far pastured upon lands which 

 have never been seeded by man, while frequently those which 

 have at some time been seeded now contain chiefly grasses that 

 were not sown. In the western half of the United States 

 domestic animals graze principally upon the native grasses, 



