82 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES. 



A bush-harrow is the best implement for coveriiiu the seeds. 

 111 its absence a YvAit iron harrow will answer, and the li'diter 

 it is the better. What is wanted is that as many seeds as 

 possible shall be just covered with soil and no more. Grass seeds 

 will germinate and become established when they are merely 

 pressed upon the surface of the earth, provided that they are not 

 consumed by birds or scorched under a hot sun. But many will 

 not germinate at all at a greater depth than half an inch. Hence 

 the necessity of a fine soil and shallow sowing. 



The roller must promptly follow the harrow, and it makes 

 a better and more certain finish to ^o over the ground twice 

 in different directions with a roller of moderate weig:ht than to 

 accomplish the task at one stroke with a heavier implement. 

 The importance of this part of the work will be made apparent 

 if any spots are missed by the roller, for on those spots there will 

 be no grass plants. 



A specially good plant may often be obtained by first rolling 

 with the Cambridcre or I'vn^ roller, then sowing the seed, and 

 afterwards crossing the land once or twice with the ordinary 

 smooth roller. 



Hard and fast rules cannot be laid down as to the time for 

 sowing. In a great measure it depends on the weather, and 

 perhaps the easiest way of arriving at a conclusion will be to 

 consider separately the relative merits of spring and autumn 



sowmsj. 



Spring Sowing. — The term ' spring sowing ' is here in- 

 tended to apply to the months of March, April, and May. And as 

 a rule it is better to sow early than late. In the early spring the 

 soil is always damp enough to keep the plants growing after they 

 have made a start. But as the season advances the state of the 

 ground becomes increasingly critical in this respect, and there is 

 serious risk that it may not be sufiiciently moist to maintain the 

 grasses until the next rainfall. Then follows the extreme morti- 

 fication of seeing a promising plant gradually wither away. 



