^ PRACTICAL OPINIONS. 295 



sowing with grain is best, on the whole, as along the 

 coast, where, on account of the proximity of the sea, 

 the ground is often but slightly covered and protected 

 with snow ; yet even there some farmers say it is bet- 

 ter to seed in August and September. 



Few general rules are of universal application, and 

 the farmer must constantly exercise sound judgment and 

 common sense. One practical farmer, in answer to the 

 circular, says : " I prefer August, because I think it less 

 liable to winter-kill than summer-kill. And another 

 greater reason is, that in fall seeding I get rid of a crop 

 of weeds, while in spring seeding my ground is seeded 

 with them." Another experienced farmer writes me : 

 " I rather prefer the last week in August for seeding , 

 down land. The reason is, that we frequently have a 

 summer drought which kills out the young grass ;" and 

 another says, " When sown alone, I prefer from the 20th 

 of August to the 20th of September. If sown sooner, 

 the summer droughts are apt to injure the young blades; 

 if later, they do not have a chance to expand and arrive 

 at that degree of maturity necessary for a good crop 

 the ensuing season." He says, also, that if, in any case, 

 it is found necessary to sow with grain, it should be in 

 the spring, and not in the fall. Another farmer recom- 

 mends " the latter part of August and the month of 

 September for seeding down land to grass for mowing, 

 unless that season should be very dry ; in that case, 

 sow so soon after a rain as may be. I do not think it 

 advisable to sow grass-seed when the earth is very dry, 

 as some of it may, by the moisture brought up in pre- 

 paring the land, sprout, but, not having continued moist- 

 ure to support it, will wither away, while some of the 

 lighter seeds will, perhaps, swell by moisture, but fail 

 to sprout, for a lack of nourishment, and consequently 

 perish, while others will be blown away by the winds. 



