MANAGEMENT OF PASTURES. 87 



time required for complete germination of various farm seeds 

 is shown in the following table, though of course the greater 

 proportion of good seed will have germinated in about half 

 the time noted below : — 



TABLE VI. 



Maximum Period Required for Germination 

 OF Farm Seeds. 



Cereals, Clovers, Turnips, Rape, etc. . . 10 days 

 Mangels, Rye Grass, Timothy, Cocksfoot, 



Agrostis, and Meadow Fescue . . 14 „ 



For Grasses not mentioned above or below . . 21 ,, 



Poa trivialis and Poa pratensis . . 28 „ 



In many samples of Clovers certain seeds will be found 

 faihng to germinate though they have remained perfectly 

 firm and hard. These seeds will germinate in the soil, and 

 in estimating the germination capacity of such samples, 

 the number of hard seeds is usually divided by three, and 

 the number thus obtained added to the seeds that have 

 actually germinated. 



Methods of Sowing. — For surface sowing of bush burns, 

 etc., a broadcasting machine carried strapped to the 

 shoulders is usually employed. The "fiddle" a special 

 broadcasting machine, is also often used, and either of these 

 devices gives a more even distribution of the seed than does 

 broadcasting by hand ; when the hand method is adopted the 

 seed is usually carried in the bottom half of a sack, the top 

 half of one side of which has been cut away. A sUt is made 

 in the remaining top half, and through this sht the head is 

 thrust, so that the bag hangs on the shoulders and leaves 

 both hands free for sowing. 



