THE COMMON CEREALS. 183 



is preferable will depend upon conditions of soil and 

 climate. The best time for plowing land to produce 

 a good grain crop will also be the best time to plow 

 for cereal pastures, and this knowledge will be pos- 

 sessed by farmers in their respective localities. It 

 may be said, further, that the best preparation of the 

 soil for grain production will also be the best prepa- 

 ration for producing grain pasture. 



Solving. — The seed of each of these mixtures 

 should be sown as soon in the spring as the ground 

 is in a good condition to be worked. When thus 

 sown, more food will be produced in an average 

 season than if sown later. 



It is preferable to sow the seed with the grain 

 drill, as it is then buried more uniformly than if cov- 

 ered with the broadcast seeder or the harrow. The 

 drill is also more economical of seed, and it puts the 

 seed so far down that the young plants are not so 

 liable to be torn out by the harrow when the latter 

 is run over the ground subsequent to the sprouting 

 of the seed. When labor is not pressing, it may be 

 well to divide the seed into two equal lots and to 

 sow it with two casts of the drill. The second cast 

 should be made to run at a right angle across the 

 first. The seed should be buried at the depth that 

 has been found the most suitable for cereals as 

 ordinarily sown. 



What is termed heavy seeding is preferred. 

 The amount of seed best suited to the different kinds 

 of soil will vary, hence it cannot be stated here, but, 

 as a rule, it will prove satisfactory to sow not less 

 than three bushels per acre of the combined grain 

 mixture, of whatever varieties it may be composed. 



In determining the proportions of each variety 



