THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



179 



On September 17, 1912, we seeded a similar 

 mixture on well prepared land. By October 10 a 

 fair stand of all grasses was secured and all grew 

 well until the opening of winter. In the spring of 

 1913 the grasses failed to start growth and a close 

 examination showed that they had almost entirely 

 winter-killed. 



From these results we conclude that under our 

 conditions fall seeding of pasture grasses is not 

 advisable. 



Grass-seeding attachments can be secured for 

 some grain drills but on ordinary soils their use is 

 not recommended. Grass seed should be covered 

 lightly and drilling will almost invariably put it in 

 too deep. In addition, drilling involves a great deal 

 of time and labor, since it will be necessary to go 

 over the ground as many times as there are varieties 

 in the mixtures. It is evident that if, for example, 

 Timothy and Smooth Brome Grass seed were mixed 

 the feeding mechanism of any drill would not be 

 able to distribute them evenly. The smoother, 

 heavier Timothy would work to the bottom and run 

 out on the first few rods while none of the light, 

 coarse Brome Grass would be seeded until the last. 



We have found broadcasting with a hand 

 seeder of a good type to be the most satisfactory 

 method. As with the drill, it will be necessary to 

 go over the land a number of times because an even 

 distribution of the grasses cannot be secured if the 

 various kinds are mixed before planting. One man 

 with a good broadcast seeder can go over an Here- 

 in a small fraction of the time that would be re- 

 quired for a man and team with a drill. 



The seed can be covered to good advantage 

 with a spike-tooth harrow or a good brush drag, 

 after which it should be corrugated for irrigation. 



In many localities it is the common practice to 

 seed alfalfa and clover with a grain crop. While 

 there is a question as to the advisability of this plan 

 there can be little doubt that grasses will do much 

 better without the so-called nurse crop. The grain 

 starts quicker and grows faster than the grass and 

 is sure to rob it of most of the available moisture. 

 If there is insufficient moisture the grass and not 

 the grain will die. Even if there is plenty of water 

 for both to grow the grain will soon cover the grass 

 completely. Instead of stooling out to form a sod 

 it grows a long slender stalk in its attempt to get a 

 share of the light and sunshine. In the hottest part 

 of the summer when the already weakened grass 

 plant requires plenty of moisture the land is left 

 dry for the grain to ripen and gets no more water 

 until after harvest. By this time a great deal of 

 the grass is dead. Actual practice has shown that 

 this is the case and that the use of a nurse crop 

 results in half or a third of a stand, in most in- 

 stances. 



W T ith a blowsand soil, however, it may be 

 necessary to use the grain to hold the sand par- 

 ticles. In this case a good deal of water should be 

 applied and the grain should be clipped for hay earlv 

 in the slimmer. 



As has been stated we have secured excellent 

 results by planting grasses in a comparatively dry 

 seed bed and irrigating to bring them up. Our ex- 

 periments have shown conclusively that if any crop 

 is to be irrigated up the water should be applied by 

 the corrugation or furrow method. This applies 



especially to pasture grasses. If flooded, most soils 

 wash to some extent and also form a hard crust that 

 the young grass plant cannot penetrate. Even if 

 the grasses are planted early enough in the spring 

 to be sprouted by the winter moisture the first sea- 

 son's irrigation should be applied in corrugations, 

 because a baked surface will interfere seriously with 

 the growth of the young plants. 



During its first few weeks the pasture should 

 be irrigated frequently. The time between applica- 

 tions will depend upon the type of soil but the seed 

 bed should be kept moist until the grasses are well 

 started. Thereafter the soil should be supplied with 

 sufficient moisture for good growing condition. 



After the first season it is not necessary to 

 make fresh corrugations. The old ones will not be 

 entirely filled and will help to lead the water. Since 

 the sod will prevent washing or baking the land can 

 be flooded with good results. 



For the old pasture we use the border method 

 of flooding and find it very satisfactory. When this 

 plan is to be followed the borders or dikes should 

 be made before the pasture is seeded so that the 

 grass can be sown right over them. 



Since grasses are comparatively shallow rooted, 

 light, frequent irrigations will give better and more 

 economic results than larger amounts applied at 

 greater intervals. Pasture grasses require more 

 frequent irrigation and a greater total amount than 

 most other farm crops. On the Station farm our 

 grasses require water at least once every ten days 

 and the total amount during the season averages 

 about two and one-half acre-feet per acre. 



Grasses seeded early in the spring should fur- 

 nish a small amount of feed during the latter part 

 of the first summer. If such is the case, light graz- 

 ing will not only be profitable but will be beneficial 

 to the pasture. Weeds will be eaten off and pre- 

 vented from going to seed and the grasses will stool 

 out more extensively than if they are allowed to 

 head and produce seed. Care should be taken, how- 

 ever, that the young sod is not grazed too closely 

 or tramped too severely. If seeded in the early 

 summer the pasture may not furnish any feed, but 

 it should be clipped with a mower in the latter part 

 of the summer. 



At the beginning of the next season the pasture 

 should be divided into lots. If it is small two parts 

 will be sufficient, if large and maintaining a great 

 number of animals more divisions will be necessary 

 to prevent herding in one place and excessive tramp- 

 ing. In any case the cross fences will be amply 

 paid for in increased forage production. The use of 

 divisions makes it possible to irrigate one part while 

 the animals are on the other. This will avoid cut- 

 ting up the sod, tramping the grass into the mud 

 and seriously checking its growth. Alternating 

 from one pasture to another insures fresher, better, 

 and more abundant feed. 



The pasture should not be grazed too closely. 

 Plenty of leaf surface is just as important for plant 

 growth as an extensive root system. Grass two 

 inches high will make a great deal more growth in 

 a day than grass one inch high. For this reason a 

 pasture that is grazed off and then allowed to grow 

 unmolested for a couple of weeks by the system of 

 alternating will produce a great deal more feed than 

 if it is kept close to the ground all the time. 



