320 GRASS MIXTURES SEEDS AND SEEDING 



This is a heavy seeding, but is desirable where cattle are turned 

 in before time to form a good sod. The amount could be reduced if 

 more time were allowed, or if the soil was favorable for quick growth. 



The rye-grass is quick growing but short lived, and will furnish 

 most of the grass the first year, but will be largely replaced with the 

 timothy and redtop the second year. Red clover and alsike are 

 both considered as biennial, and if the pasture is to last more than 

 two years additional seed of these clovers should be scattered on 

 during the spring of the second year. 



Permanent Pastures. There are only five permanent grasses 

 sown extensively in the United States. 



Kentucky blue- grass is undoubtedly the most valuable. It is 

 adapted climatically to all the north half of this country and 

 Canada, except acid soils and dry, stony hill lands low in fertility. 



Canada blue-grass, while less productive, is excellent in quality, 

 and fortunately will grow on acid soils and on poor, dry soils where 

 Kentucky blue-grass fails. It should be sown where Kentucky blue- 

 grass fails. 



Redtop, while as productive as Kentucky blue-grass, is less pala- 

 table. It grows, however, on acid or poor soils, where blue-grass fails, 

 and is probably the most important pasture plant in the hill lands of 

 New York and New England. 



Brome-grass is capable of enduring dry weather and summer heat, 

 but requires a rather northern climate. In the Dakotas and west- 

 ward, brome-grass is valuable sown alone and also with blue-grass, 

 as it continues to grow during the midsummer season when blue- 

 grass is dormant. 



Bermuda grass is the most valuable permanent pasture grass for 

 the South, below the Kentucky blue-grass and timothy region. 



White clover on good soil is regarded as permanent, owing to its 

 ability to produce seed under pasturage, thus constantly reseeding 

 (see Chapter XLII). 



Mixtures. Both of the blue-grasses, white clover, and Bermuda 

 grass are slow in establishing, requiring three to four years. Seed is 

 also expensive and it is the custom to sow thin, depending on their 

 natural ability to spread for a permanent stand. Therefore in sow- 



