178 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



gation water we can keep the pasture in good grow- 

 ing condition throughout the entire season it is es- 

 sential that it contain some early, some medium, 

 and some late-growing varieties. 



Loose, sandy soils or lands that have consider- 

 able slope will require a large proportion of those 

 grasses which form a tough sod to insure protec- 

 tion against blowing or washing. 



Pieces of high or rough land should have more 

 of the deeper rooting varieties since the moisture 

 supply is apt to be deficient. 



Low-lying, poorly-drained lands should be 

 seeded to those grasses whose natural characteris- 

 tics adapt them to excessive moisture. 



The following mixture will be found very satis- 

 factory on ordinary loam soils, such a's are generally 

 found throughout southern Idaho: 



Kentucky Blue Grass 8 pounds 



Orchard Grass 5 pounds 



Smooth Brome Grass 5 pounds 



Meadow Fescue -. 4 pounds 



Timothy 4 pounds 



White Clover 2 pounds 



Total 28 pounds 



These grasses in nearly these proportions, plus 

 two pounds each of Italian Rye Grass and Red Top 

 have been grown for the past four years at the sta- 

 tion with excellent results. The Italian Rye Grass 

 has disappeared entirely and the Red Top is not as 

 productive as the others and hence these are elimi- 

 nated from the mixture. The proportions have 

 been changed from the original mixture to the one 

 given above because our observations have indi- 

 cated that such changes would make profitable pas- 

 ture. When well started this mixture will produce 

 a sod that will be close enough to prevent blowing 

 or washing of sandy soils. 



For the low, poorly-drained lands the following 

 mixture is desirable : 



Red Top 8 pounds 



Timothy 8 pounds 



Meadow Fescue 6 pounds 



Alsike Clover 4 pounds 



Total 26 pounds 



For high lands that are apt to be dry this mix- 

 ture is recommended : 



Smooth Brome Grass 18 pounds 



Orchard Grass 10 pounds 



Total 28 pounds 



These two grasses can be seeded deeper than 

 most others and hence a stand can often be secured 

 even on land that cannot be irrigated. Of the com- 

 mon cultivated grasses they are the best resisters 

 of drouth because of their deep roots. 



In each of the foregoing mixtures the amounts 

 given are for one acre. While it may appear that 

 a great deal of seed is being used there are a num- 

 ber of reasons why such an amount is necessary. 

 Grass seed sometimes contains considerable chaff 

 and other inert matter and too often is rather low 

 in germinative power. An unevenness in the seed- 

 bed or in the moisture supply might result in a low 

 germination. Under the best of conditions it re- 

 quires practically all of one crop season to get the 

 pasture started. It would be poor economy to run 



the risk of having to go ahead with a thin r un- 

 profitable stand in order to save a few pounds of 

 seed. 



Farmers will do well to avoid "seed house" 

 mixtures. They often contain inferior grasses un- 

 der fancy names. As will be explained later, it is 

 impossible to secure an even distribution of grasses 

 if the seed is mixed before planting. Buy your 

 grass seed separate and insist that it conforms to 

 the State Pure Seed Law. 



Thorough preparation of the seed bed is abso- 

 lutely essential in starting a grass pasture. The 

 great majority of failures to secure a satisfactory 

 stand of grass are due directly to a poor seed bed. 

 Grass seeds are very small and the tiny rootlet that 

 is sent out at germination is not able to reach very 

 far. The new plant must be self-supporting at 

 once because these seeds are not supplied with a 

 great store of plant food as are some of the large 

 seeds. If the soil is fine and firm all will be well, 

 but if it is loose and open, or rough and lumpy, the 

 small plants will dry up and die and a thin stand 

 will be the result. 



Different types of soils require different 

 methods of handling, so that no exact plan can be 

 outlined for the preparation of a seed bed that will 

 fit all conditions. In general, it is preferable to 

 have the land fall-plowed and left rough through 

 the winter. As early as practicable in the spring 

 it should be double-disked, harrowed, and floated 

 with an ordinary plank float. This should leave 

 most soils in a very good condition. On heavy 

 clay, however, such an amount of tramping would 

 probably result in too much packing and on very 

 sandy soils less would be just as efficient. 



There are special cases that require special 

 treatment. For example, in blowsand the amount 

 of work suggested above would be detrimental. 

 Good results are often secured on this type of soil 

 by seeding in an old grain stubble which will help 

 to hold the sand particles down. 



Under most southern Idaho conditions grasses 

 can be seeded to advantage any time from early 

 spring to the middle of July. Of course, the later 

 seedings have to be irrigated up as will be explained 

 in the discussion on irrigation. If grasses are not 

 to be irrigated up they should be planted as early 

 in the spring as the land can be worked. A good 

 moisture supply is absolutely necessary and they 

 will survive a light frost better than a dry seed bed. 



\Yhere the land can be irrigated readily the 

 seeding can be done to best advantage in the late 

 spring or early summer. This will allow weed seeds 

 to sprout and the young weeds can be killed easily 

 by occasional harrowing. The warm weather with 

 ample moisture which can be applied as explained 

 later furnishes ideal conditions for rapid, vigorous 

 growth. Grass varieties alone and mixtures have 

 been seeded on the Station farm on May 4, May 11, 

 June 22, July 8, and July 14, and in each case have 

 produced excellent, uniform stands. 



On October 3, 1911, a pasture mixture contain- 

 ing Smooth Brome Grass, Meadow Fescue, Italian 

 Rye Grass and Red Clover was seeded on a care- 

 fully prepared seed bed. The weather following 

 this seeding was comparatively cool and none of 

 the grasses came up before winter. In the spring 

 of 1912 none of them appeared. 



