HAY AND PASTURE CROPS IN DRY AREAS 341 



in many portions of the dry areas, it does not grow so 

 well as either western rye or brome grass. It does not 

 stand dry conditions so well as either of these grasses, 

 hence when grown it should be in favored situations, as 

 near the foothills of the mountains where the seepage 

 waters furnish moisture from subterranean sources, or 

 where the rainfall is more than normal for dry areas. 



Soils. Loam soils are the best for timothy, more 

 especially those that are rich in vegetable matter. Timo- 

 thy will not grow well on sandy or gravelly soils when 

 these are not plentifully supplied with moisture. 



Place in the rotation. In the rotation, timothy 

 should come after summer-fallow or after a cultivated 

 crop. Unless it is sown on land reasonably well-stored 

 with moisture, the plants may die even after they have 

 germinated. Among the best crops to follow timothy 

 are flax and corn. 



Preparing the land. The preparation that is suit- 

 able for the crop along with which timothy is sown is 

 also suitable for timothy. It should not be sown on 

 rough or cloddy ground, hence where a good stand of 

 timothy is expected the soil should be made fine near the 

 surface. A seed so small as timothy will not prove sat- 

 isfactory in cloddy land. 



Sowing. When timothy is sown alone, it may be 

 sown fall or spring, preferably the former, as when thus 

 sown it is much less liable to fail from drought than 

 when sown in the spring. When sown in the fall, it is 

 usually sown along with a crop of winter wheat, also in 

 certain areas with winter barley. Such sowing is surer 

 to secure a stand than spring sowing, as the plants have 

 time to become firmly rooted before the arrival of dry 

 weather. 



The seed is sown with a nurse crop, preferably winter 

 rye, winter wheat, and southward winter barley, but it 

 may also be sown in the spring, especially in such areas 



