348 DRY LAND FARMING 



it is sown. In northern areas, it is sometimes sown in 

 the late autumn without a nurse crop. In such instances, 

 it is usually sown by hand and harrowed in, but of course 

 it may be sown otherwise. 



Shallow sowing is preferred, not deeper than 1 to 2 

 inches on average soils. The amount of seed varies much 

 with the object sought in sowing. When sown alone to 

 provide pasture, where the rainfall is limited, from 10 to 

 12 pounds of seed should be enough. When sown to pro- 

 vide hay, 8 to 10 pounds should suffice, and this quantity 

 may be still further reduced when seed is sought. The 

 tendency in this grass is to thicken continually or at 

 least up to a certain limit, hence the quantities of seed 

 sown need not be relatively large. 



Care of the crop. It is usually hazardous to use a 

 harrow on a nurse crop amid which brome grass has been 

 sown, or the feeble young plants of brome may be de- 

 stroyed. When sown with a light nurse crop of oats 

 or other grain in the spring, the crop may in many in- 

 stances be pastured with profit to the same, but not at an 

 early period of growth. Should the grass thicken so as 

 to hinder abundant growth, it may be renewed by double 

 discing followed by the harrow, the work being done in 

 the early spring. In other instances shallow plowing 

 in the late autumn or early spring will effect the same 

 end. The growth of the grass may also be greatly stimu- 

 lated by top-dressings of farmyard manure, preferably 

 applied in the late autumn or during the winter. 



Harvesting. Brome grass is ready to harvest for 

 hay soon after coming into head. It is harvested in the 

 same way as timothy (see p. 342). The feeding quality 

 of the hay is not far different from that of timothy, but 

 because of its soft and somewhat fluffy character it will 

 never take the place of timothy in the market. In the 

 semi-arid country one ton should be looked upon as a 

 fairly average yield of hay from an acre. 



