MEADOWS AND MAKING HAY. 417 



down on the western prairies, which lifts with the wind 

 would simply be encouraging the wind to blow it away ; 

 and to expend so much labor on a seed bed in the rainy 

 South without subsoiling would not be wise. While the 

 aim should be, in preparing such lands, to have them 

 clean, finely pulverized, moist and rich, these results 

 should be sought by that system which will involve a 

 minimum expenditure of labor ; pulverization to the ex- 

 tent of hazarding or inviting subsequent impaction 

 should be avoided; waste in the methods of applying 

 fertility should be avoided. Those methods of prepara- 

 tion will be best which will best meet the needs of the 

 locality whatever these may be. 



Sowing. What has been said in Chapter XVI, as to 

 the time for sowing permanent pastures, will apply 

 about equally to permanent meadows. (See p. 385.) 

 Over much of the country, especially south and west, 

 early autumn sowing will prove most satisfactory. 



In laying down permanent pastures, the question of 

 securing the proceeds of a nurse crop at the same time 

 is one of but small importance relatively. The all im- 

 portant matter is to secure a good stand of the grasses 

 because of the permanency of the meadow. As in lay- 

 ing down permanent pastures, nurse crops, when used, 

 should in many instances be cut early to mulch the land, 

 or later and while immature, for hay. 



While the quantities of seed named in each case is 

 in the main correct, it is only intended to be approxi- 

 mately so, which may be said of the quantities of seed 

 specified throughout the book. Some successful grow- 

 ers sow much larger quantities of seed than those named ; 



