﻿THE RESEEDING OF DEPLETED GRAZING LANDS. 15 



In the case of all the plots described the seed was scattered in the 

 autumn. To test the relative merits of spring and autumn planting 

 additional small plots adjacent to those seeded in the autumn were 

 seeded just as the last snow was disappearing in the spring. In all 

 of this work the seed was scattered broadcast, in some cases with a 

 hand seeder and in other cases by hand. Either when sown pure or 

 to a mixture, the hand seeder, shown in Plate I, figure 1, was highly 

 satisfactory in getting an even distribution of the seed. A machine 

 of the kind shown in this plate does not exceed 5 pounds in weight, 

 is easily portable and compact, and can readily be adjusted to regu- 

 late the amount of seed to be sown. A 10 to 12 foot swath is covered 

 by a machine of this kind, and one man can sow from 25 to -35 acres 

 per clay. 



RESULTS OF THE INTENSIVE STUDIES. 



In general it may be said that the factors chiefly instrumental in 

 bringing about unsatisfactory results in reseeding are (1) wrong 

 time of sowing; (2) inadequate planting of the seed; (3) use of 

 species unadapted to the conditions; (4) excessive altitude; (5) soil 

 which is either too shallow or of undesirable physical structure and 

 chemical character, or which has too small or too great a supply of 

 moisture. 



In presenting in detail the results of the intensive experiments 

 there will be discussed: Spring and autumn sowing; the merits of 

 different methods of soil treatment; growth requirements and char- 

 acteristics of the forage species in question during the time of estab- 

 lishment; the restriction of reseeding due to altitude; and how to 

 judge, by the native vegetation, lands suitable for reseeding. 



SPRING VERSUS AUTUMN SEEDING. 



A study of spring-seeded and fall-seeded plots established on con- 

 tiguous lands in a number of different situations showed the autumn- 

 sown areas far superior to those sown in the spring (1) in the time 

 of germination, (2) in the period required for all the seed to germi- 

 nate, (3) in the development and vigor of the seedlings, and (4) in 

 the subsequent seedling loss due to adverse conditions, which deter- 

 mines the final stand. 



The most striking examples of the advantage of autumn sowing 

 were observed on plots established on w T ell-drained mountain meadow 

 lands where the surface layer of soil is friable and has a tendency to 

 dry out excessively early in the season. A measure of the merits of 

 spring and autumn sowing on such lands is shown in Plate II. 

 Under the same climatic and soil conditions grass seed — timothy, 

 Kentucky blue grass, smooth brome grass, redtop, etc. — sown in the 



