88 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



during the two seasons is in sharp contrast. Ordinarily 

 they are planted in spring. The first season they produce 

 above ground only a rosette of leaves, but below ground 

 a great root development. During the second season 

 there is a large growth of flowering stems, in part due to 

 the stored food in the roots. The growth of the first 

 season constitutes the crop, unless seed is the object, 

 but the amount of herbage above ground is far greater 

 the second season. This sharp contrast between the growth 

 of the two seasons occurs regardless of whether the seed is 

 sown in the spring or in the fall so long as the plants survive 

 the winter. 



Herbaceous perennials are much like biennials in that 

 the first season is devoted mainly to root development. 

 The rosette habit is not so conspicuous, and with many 

 species a few flowering shoots are produced if the seed is 

 sown in spring. The second season, abundant top growth 

 is produced, and this is regardless of whether the seed was 

 sown in the spring or fall, as it is only during the first 

 season that the rosette habit predominates. There is 

 seldom any gain by sowing a perennial grass or legume in 

 spring, as the yield during that season is usually negligible 

 and the crop must compete with numerous summer weeds 

 during the period when it produces but little top growth. 

 It is a safe general rule, therefore, that perennials should 

 be sown in the fall, but early enough that good root growth 

 be established by winter. Spring seeding of such crops 

 is desirable only where moisture conditions compel it 

 or winter injury by cold is likely to be excessive. 



79. Depth of planting. The depth to which seeds of 

 a particular species should be planted cannot be stated 

 arbitrarily nor based on any definite theory. Under 

 natural conditions seeds fall on the surface of the ground 



