THE BIAJK-GRASSES 99 



power of prime blue-grass seed. Yet in tests of prop- 

 erly cured seed 90 per cent, or more have germinated. 



Poor seed undoubtedly accounts for many failures 

 in attempting to start blue-grass pastures. Unless the 

 germinating power of such seed is known, it is pure 

 guess-work to determine the amount required to secure 

 a stand. Ordinarily 25 or 30 Ibs. of good, germinable 

 seed is sufficient to seed an acre, but it is usually wise 

 to use at least twice this much of the common run of 

 seed on the markets. Seedsmen should be required 

 by law to guarantee the germinating power of blue- 

 grass seed, as well as other seeds. To do this it 

 would be necessary to charge a higher price for the 

 seed, but in the end it would be cheaper to the farmer. 

 Under present conditions no seedsman, however desir- 

 ous of furnishing only high-grade seeds, can afford to 

 guarantee his wares, for he would be compelled to 

 charge such prices that farmers generally would buy 

 from his competitors inferior seeds at a price which 

 appears to be cheaper, but which in reality is not so. 



There is no universally recognized way of starting 

 a blue-grass sod. This is partly owing to the numer- 

 ous failures of all methods from bad seed. Some 

 farmers in the Central West scatter the seed in corn- 

 fields in late summer or early fall. Others sow it with 

 clover on wheat and timothy in early spring. Some 

 prefer to sow on a light snow, while others sow at a 

 time when the ground is lightly frozen and cracked, 

 honeycomb fashion. On account of the length of time 

 required to start a blue-grass pasture, it is quite com- 

 mon for the seed to be sown when a timothy and clover 

 meadow is laid down. By the time the meadow has 



