SOWING AND PLANTING IN DRY AREAS 187 



on which the crop is sown is so light as to lift with the 

 wind. Under such conditions it may be proper to sow 

 a few pounds of oats to the acre with the understanding 

 that the oats are to be prevented from maturing by graz- 

 ing them, or by cutting them for hay while yet green, as 

 may be deemed best. 



In but few instances should grasses or clover be 

 sown with a nurse crop in -the semi-arid belt. It may 

 be legitimate to sow them thus under some conditions, 

 where the normal rainfall is 15 to 20 inches, and espe- 

 cially when it approaches the latter figure. But when it 

 is less than 15 inches, the instances are rare when such 

 sowing is legitimate. It may be possible so sow alfalfa 

 with a nurse crop and get a stand, even when the rainfall 

 is less than 15 inches, but the wisdom of sowing it thus 

 is to be doubted, as the plants will have less vigor than 

 if the crop were sown alone, and this will react adversely 

 on the yields in the future. The conditions, therefore, in 

 the semi-arid belt almost completely eliminate the nurse 

 crop from the system of farming. 



The time for planting. The time for planting, as 

 well as that for seeding, is influenced by: (1) the crop; 

 (2) the soil ; (3) the season. It should, as a rule, be done 

 relatively early as compared with planting in the humid 

 areas. 



The species and variety of the product planted exer- 

 cises a marked influence on the best time at which to 

 plant in semi-arid areas: The aim should be to grow 

 such species only as are relatively hardy for the locality, 

 and the same is true of the variety. For this reason 

 both species and variety should be given more care and 

 study than may be necessary when growing the same in 

 the semi-arid belt. To attempt to grow species or variety 

 where the conditions are not fitted, or even illy fitted for 

 growing them, would be a great mistake under any con- 



