HAY AND PASTURE CROPS IN DRY AREAS 347 



Place in the rotation. The rotation for brome grass 

 is but little different from the rotation for timothy and 

 western rye grass referred to above. It comes after 

 fallow or cultivated land and before corn, flax or potatoes. 

 It remains longer in the soil than most other grasses, 

 should such prolongation be desired. In instances some- 

 what numerous, experience has shown that small grains 

 do not succeed well as the first crop after brome, and 

 probably for the reason that the roots do not decay quick- 

 ly enough to afford nourishment for the roots of the 

 plants. ' Corn, therefore, is one of the safest crops to fol- 

 low brome grass. 



Preparing the soil. The young brome grass plants 

 grow delicately and slowly for a time, hence the impor- 

 tance of having the soil in a good condition as to tilth 

 and moisture when the seed is sown. Fine pulveriza- 

 tion after fallow or a cultivated crop furnishes a very 

 desirable condition, but it is possible to obtain stands of 

 this grass on stubble land that has been disced in sea- 

 sons of considerable moisture. 



Sowing. Brome grass may be sown during almost 

 any month of the growing season, hence it is better to 

 sow it in the early spring than at other times. It is not 

 easily sown because of the relative lightness of the seed. 

 When it is sown by hand, even a light wind may result 

 in an uneven stand of the grass. When sown with the 

 grain drill, it does not feed out readily unless mixed with 

 some substance that is heavier. When sown on 

 light soils, it may be mixed with a light seeding of oats, 

 but the oats should be cut while yet green and made into 

 hay. Even when sown on heavy soils, this method of 

 seeding may answer, but in such instances the burial 

 given should be very light. In mild latitudes, and where 

 much of the precipitation falls in the winter, the seed 

 may be sown in the autumn. As a rule, however, it 

 should not be buried so deeply as the grain amid which 



