FILL AND SPRING SOWING. 297 



October. Some seed in spring with oats, but generally 

 it does not do well. Clover is more often sown in the 

 spring, because it winter-kills." Another says, " There 

 is a difference of opinion among farmers in this region 

 on this subject ; some prefer to sow the grass-seed 

 with the spring grain in May, while others prefer to 

 sow in August. The latter, no doubt, is the best prac- 

 tice, if the ground is sufficiently moist." 



But, on the other hand, an experienced practical farmer 

 on the sea-coast says, " I prefer seeding down land 

 designed for mowing in April, for the reason that if 

 sown in March the ground becomes so compact, from 

 the effects of heavy rains, that the seed does not come 

 up well, and if sown in August or September, the grass 

 does not attain that degree of maturity to enable it to 

 withstand the frequent freezing and thawing of the suc- 

 ceeding winter. We usually have but little snow to 

 protect the young grass on this island. The objection 

 to sowing grass-seed after English harvest will not 

 probably apply to those places where the winters are 

 less changeable." 



Another says : "I have sown grass-seed in the months 

 of March, April, May, August, September, and October. 

 On a rich, compact, retentive soil, seed has done well 

 sown in April or May, but I prefer to seed my land of 

 any description in August, or on a light snow in March. 

 My reason is, that when I have seeded my ground in 

 the spring, I have sown rye or oats with the grass-seed 

 generally ; if not, a crop of weeds would come up and 

 usurp the place of the grasses and choke them out, and 

 a hot and dry July and August would exterminate what 

 escaped the oats and weeds." 



Thus, the opinions and practice of farmers are divided 

 on this question, each one being influenced in part by 

 the character of his land and his crops. But it will be 



