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incompatibility of the soil, at that point, with the grass 

 sown. These spots would be occupied possibly by other 

 species if sown, and thus the whole surface would he cov- 

 ered. Some grasses are disposed to turf the ground, while 

 others form tussocks, therefore it is best to mix, if sowing a 

 tussock grass, a grass that will turf well. Some grasses 

 have a heavy undergrowth of surface foliage, while others 

 have this sparingly. These two peculiarities would be done 

 away with if the two were combined. 



It is not, however, proper to combine the pasture grasses 

 with the meadow grasses. As a rule the former have creep- 

 ing roots and are more vigorous than the latter, and they 

 would soon overpower them and destroy the meadow. This, 

 of course, is spoken in reference to the perennial pasture 

 grasses. 



Another condition of mixing is the number to be com- 

 bined. As a rule, it is beyond question that a meadow- 

 sown with a variety of seeds will do better and make more 

 hay than when one kind is used. It is no easy matter to 

 explain why, but nature does it, and she rarely errs in her 

 primitive growth. 



A custom prevails among the grass farmers of the North 

 and East to mix a great number together some having 

 as many as a dozen different kinds on one meadow. In 

 this way those vacant spots we have spoken of will be filled 

 up with selected seeds instead of seeds of an inferior or 

 noxious sort. The ground will be covered, and it is better 

 to select the best varieties. The more especially is this the 

 case when it is expected, as most farmers will do, to pas- 

 ture to some extent the meadow, or when it is wished to 

 train it as a meadow a few years and ultimately let it pass 

 into a grazing lot. It is quite a common custom in this 

 State to mix clover and orchard grass, or clover and Herd's 

 grass, or clover and timothy, and sometimes timothy and 

 Herd's grass are mixed, and this is about the extent of mix- 

 ing done. 

 7 



