GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 15 



fall, hence, in certain areas, to avoid such a possibility 

 the ground should not be prepared long before the 

 grasses are sown. As a rule, in dry climates that degree 

 of firmness in the soil that will best promote the growth 

 of grasses will increase up to a certain limit with the 

 increase in the interval between the breaking up of the 

 soil with the plough or disk, and the sowing of the seed. 

 Conversely, when rainfall is abundant, excessive firm- 

 ness will be hindered by the shortening of such a period. 

 The character of the soil of course has an important 

 bearing on the length of the preparatory period, when 

 growing such grasses, that will put the soil in the best 

 condition to receive them. 



Under ordinary conditions, it would not be easy to 

 over-estimate the value of fine pulverization in the 

 seed bed on which grasses are to be sown. Its value 

 arises from excluding an excess of air from the soil 

 near the surface when the plants begin to grow, in 

 reducing evaporation, in securing a more abundant 

 germination in the seeds sown, and in furnishing 

 a feeding ground which the tender rootlets can easily 

 penetrate as they push out. This condition is likely to 

 be promoted by the influences that tend to produce moist- 

 ness and firmness in the soil. The influence of frost 

 on fall ploughed lands is specially helpful in securing 

 a fine pulverization. Some lands have it naturally in 

 a far greater degree than others, hence, in those which 

 have, the effort to secure such pulverization is not much 

 necessary on the part of the husbandman. On all soils 

 stiff in texture, the fineness of the seed-bed will be pro- 

 portionate to the labor put upon it when preparing them 



