318 GRASS MIXTURESSEEDS AND SEEDING 



Soil Not Uniform. One of the principal reasons for mixtures is 

 in cases where the soil in a field is not uniform. In the eastern 

 States the natural supply of lime in the soil is getting so low that 

 certain areas in many fields will not grow red clover, and if there are 

 really acid spots the timothy may fail. As both alsike clover and red- 

 top will grow on more acid soil than red clover and timothy, espe- 

 cially if the land is poorly drained and wet, it is quite common to 

 mix in both of these. Four common mixtures are the following: 



On good timothy and red clover soil: Timothy, 15 pounds; red 

 clover, 10 pounds. 



Where red clover fails in spots : Timothy, 15 pounds ; red clover, 

 5 pounds; alsike clover, 3 pounds. 



Where both timothy and red clover fail in spots: Timothy, 10 

 pounds; redtop, 5 pounds; red clover, 5 pounds; alsike clover, 3 

 pounds. 



Where both timothy and red clover fail: Redtop, 10 pounds; 

 alsike clover, 5 pounds. 



Pasture Mixtures. The reasons set forth for using mixtures in 

 sowing pastures are : 



1. Some grasses are slow in establishing a sod. This is especially 

 true of Kentucky blue-grass, the best of all pasture grasses where it 

 grows well. Three to four years are required for blue-grass to form 

 a good sod, so it is customary to sow some quick-growing grasses with 

 it to furnish pasture while the blue-grass is establishing. It takes 

 from 60 to 100 pounds of blue-grass seed per acre for a full stand, 

 but this is too expensive and it is the general custom to sow only 

 five to ten pounds, and give it more time to spread. 



2. Some grasses do not form a good sod and need fillers. This 

 is especially true of orchard-grass or rye-grass, and all bunch grasses. 

 They need some sod-forming grass with them to form a good turf. 



3. Succession of plants is important. For example, orchard- 

 grass makes a good growth in early spring and late fall, but poor 

 pasture in midsummer. Blue-grass is at its prime in June, while 

 timothy furnishes good pasturage through July. A mixture will 

 furnish more continuous pasture through a longer season. 



4. Soil not uniform. The roughest, most uneven land is usually 

 given over to permanent pasture. In a single pasture, land may 



