^10 FORAGE CROPS. 



To provide forage they are commonly sown with a 

 winter grain crop, as wheat or rye, or with a spring 

 grain crop, as wheat, oats or barley. But they 

 should not ordinarily be sown with a grain crop that 

 has also been sown with grass seeds, for the pastur- 

 ing in the autumn would very probably prove hurt- 

 ful to the young grass. With a winter crop they 

 should be sown early, so that it will not too much 

 shade the plants while they are young and tenden 

 With a spring crop they should usually be sown at 

 the same time as the grain, but may be sown later. 



From one to two pounds of seed will usually 

 prove sufficient to sow per acre. On winter grain 

 crops the seed will have to be broadcasted. It should 

 then" be covered with a harrow. The harrowing 

 will also be helpful to the grain when it is judiciously 

 done. On spring grain it may be sown with the 

 grass-seeder attachment of the grain drill when it 

 has one, and except on stiff soils the seed should fall 

 before the drill tubes. When the seed is thus 

 dropped before the drill tubes it will be sufficiently 

 covered. When it is sown just after the grain it 

 will, in nearly all instances, be necessary to cover it 

 with the harrow, except on lumpy or cloddy soils. 

 On these the roller ought to be used rather than 

 the harrow. 



If the seed should be sown just when the blades 

 of the grain begin to appear, a light harrowing at 

 that time will not only cover the seed, but it will be 

 helpful to the grain, that is to say, when the soil is 

 not too wet to be harrowed. 



Of the various kinds of spring grain, barley 

 makes the best nurse crop for turnips, because of the 

 less dense gr.owth which it produces, and because 



