180 THE PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE 



306. The number of plants of grass on- a 

 given area should be governed by the uses for 

 which they are grown, their habits of growth 

 and their size. The smaller grasses thrive well 

 if the plants stand near together. The larger 

 grasses, as maize, should have much room 

 between the plants or hills. The plants in a 

 pasture field should be more numerous than in 

 the meadow, and more numerous in the meadow 

 than in fields devoted to raising grass seed. 



2. Permanent Pastures 

 2a. Preparation of the land 



307. When the land is fairly level and can be 

 fitted without too much expense, it is best to 

 plow the ground two or three times during the 

 summer, the first time in early spring, and to 

 keep the surface fine and clean by frequent 

 tillage. This treatment improves the physical 

 condition of the soil, destroys weeds and weed 

 seeds, makes much dormant plant -food availa- 

 ble, and conserves moisture so that the surface 

 soil, in most cases, will be damp enough to cause 

 seeds to germinate even in August. 



308. On friable soils, as on the western 

 prairies and in some other places, a single plow- 

 ing and frequent shallow surface tillage may be 



