HAY AND PASTURE CROPS IN DRY AREAS 351 



on good soil. Winter rye and the sand vetch will grow 

 better on soils low in fertility than the other crops. 



Place in the rotation. The place in the rotation for 

 these crops is virtually the same as when they are grown 

 separately for the grain. They come most fittingly on 

 land that has been made clean and in which moisture has 

 been conserved by correct processes of cultivation. In 

 a normal season, they will usually do well also on break- 

 ing if sown early. They are best followed by corn or 

 fallow, but where the normal rainfall is 15 inches or more 

 they may be followed by grain if the soil has been judi- 

 ciously prepared. 



Preparing the land. The land should be prepared 

 as for crops sown for the grain. Although a clean seed 

 bed is very desirable, these crops will take less injury 

 from the presence of weeds than grain crops, as they may 

 be cut, if necessary, considerably short of maturity. The 

 weeds may thus be prevented from forming seed. 



Sowing. When sowing grain alone to furnish hay, 

 the procedure is much the same as when sowing it to 

 mature seed but some additional seed may be used to 

 improve the quality of the hay by making it less coarse 

 than it would otherwise be. In combinations, the chief 

 differences arise from the determination of the amounts 

 of seed to sow, and some modifications as to the method 

 of sowing which are referred to below. 



Grain for hay should be sown as soon as the land is 

 in good condition for being tilled. Early sowing will 

 usually have an important influence on the yield. But 

 should it not be possible to sow the crop early, such grain 

 will take less harm than if it were to ripen, because of 

 the fact that it may be harvested when considerably short 

 of maturity. 



The seed is best sown with the grain drill. The 

 depth will vary with the kind or kinds, but usually not 

 greatly. When mixtures are sown, in many instances, it 



