32 



tucky blue-grass. The last, although a splendid pasture grass, produces 

 too little top to prove altogether satisfactory in mowings. There is, it 

 is true, no variety of hay which sells so readily in most sections as tim- 

 othy : but for the reasons stated it seems best to reduce the quantity of 

 timothy, and to introduce species which are more persistent in all cases 

 where the mowing is to be permanent. Among such species the fescues 

 promise to prove the most valuable ; and a mixture of seeds in which I 

 have considerable confidence for permanent mowings is as follows : — 



rounds. 



Timothy, (5 



Redtop, 8 



Red clover, o 



Alsike clover, ........ 4 



Kentvicky blue-grass, 4 



Meadow fescue, 6 



Tall fescue, 4 



The two mixtures of seeds which have been given were sown on the 

 experiment station grounds in Amherst in the summer of 1902, under 

 conditions which make comparison of the results for the first year possi- 

 ble. The mixture including the larger amount of timothy gave a yield 

 in two crops at the rate of about 5 tons to the acre, while the mixture 

 including the fescues gave a yield at the rate of about 4|^ tons per acre. 

 The timothy mixture is in the first year clearly superior to the other; 

 but it is expected that the fescue mixture will maintain its quality better, 

 since the fescues which have underground stems similar to those of 

 witch grass are not likely to be displaced by Kentucky blue-grass to 

 the same extent as the timothy. 



On soils which incline to be light, orchard grass proves to be one of 

 the most valuable and persistent grasses, and the following mixture 

 of seeds is recommended : — 



Pounds. 



Orchard grass, 15 



Tall oat grass, 5 



Italian rye grass, 3 



Perennial rye grass, ....... 3 



Awnless brome grass, 5 



Red clover, 6 



White clover, 2 



The number of seed mixtures, each of which under some circum. 

 stances may prove adapted to the situation, might be almost indefinitely 

 extended, but space forbids further discussion of this branch of the 

 subject. 



Methods of Seeding. — The three principal methods of seeding land to 

 grass which will be discussed in this article ai-e : First, spring seeding 

 with a nurse crop ; second, late summer or fall seeding ; third, seeding 

 in corn. 



Spring Seeding tvith a Nurse Crojj. — This system of seeding land to 

 grass is, according to the writer's observation, still one of the most 

 common followed by our farmers. It is of course oftentimes attended 

 with satisfactory results. Grass can usually be depended upon to make 



