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covering than will be given by a harrow or brush, a great many seeds 

 will be left uncovered. This is true but in one pound of blue grass seed 

 (clean seed) there are 3,888,000 seeds. By a computation every square 

 inch of surface will contain from nine to ten seeds. With this amount on 

 the surface, one scarcely need fear a stand, when if one or two take root 

 there will be a close turf in a year upon good soils. 



Dr. F. H. Gordon, of Smith county, who during his life paid more 

 attention to the growing of blue grass than any one else in the State, 

 adopted a plan of management that has been repeatedly tested, with uni- 

 form success. It was this: 



He sowed, either in the autumn or spring months indiscriminately, as 

 suited his convenience. He usually sowed with rye, wheat or barley if 

 sown in an open field, but if in a woods lot, the blue grass was sown only 

 with rye, or after a crop of millet. The soil was cleared of all trash and 

 brush, and broken up as well as the nature of the land would permit. 

 The grain was first sown, the land harrowed and if possible rolled. After 

 this, the grass seed was sown over the ground and brushed lightly. Cat- 

 tle, horses and sheep were then turned in, as many as could be secured. 

 If there were not enough on his place he borrowed his neighbor's stock, 

 and let them run on the land until it was well packed all over the surface. 

 If sown after millet (and that is greatly recommended, as millet destroys, 

 more effectively than anything else, all weeds) the land should be har- 

 rowed .about the first of September thoroughly, the seed sown and brushed 

 in. After this the stock should be turned on the land. If it is desired to 

 sow the grass in the spring, during the latter part of February or early in 

 March, if not practicable sooner, the grain field should be harrowed, the 

 ground having been well prepared in the fall. The seed is sown and stock 

 turned on the wheat, rye or barley as the case may be. Oat land may be 

 sown in the same way. The treading of the stock packs in the seeds and 

 prevents the grass from drying up in summer or freezing out in winter; 

 Dr. Gordon considered an open, loose porous surface, extremely unfavor- 

 able to the safety of the young grass. When packed as directed, the 

 grass will quickly spring up and get a firm hold, and the loose condition 

 of the subsoil will favor the transmission of the roots to a good depth. 



Dr. Gordon would not permit the grass to seed at all. His great 

 success in this branch of agriculture gives weight to his authority. Others, 

 who have been successful in managing blue grass think no stock should 

 go on it for two years, or at least until after the first seeding, which will 

 take place in June of the second year. Some of the best blue grass lots 

 in Middle Tennessee have been started by following either of the methods 

 given above. The ground should not be well broken up. The surface 

 should be as firmly packed as possible in order to secure a perfect stand 

 and to form a perfect turf. When the surface is loose, the grass dries up 

 in summer and freezes out in winter. With favorable weather, seed 

 sown in the spring on a crop of oats will do as well as fall sowing. What 

 is meant by favorable weather, is that no unusual dry weather supervenes. 

 But the risk of meeting with unfavorable weather in spring sowing is 

 great, and for this reason fall sowing is preferred. The sowing should 

 take place as early in the fall as the weather will permit, or indeed in the 



