24 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



to be sown alone, and this is a very good rule if one is 

 not sure of the quality of the seed. A general rule, 

 but one that should seldom be applied stridlly, is to 

 reduce the amount of each kind of seed in proportion 

 to the number of kinds in the mixture. This rule 

 should be used with much caution, yet it is a guide of 

 some value. If more or less of a given grass is wanted 

 in the mixture, use its seed accordingly, and always 

 make sure of sufficient seed of the best grasses in the 

 mixture to secure a stand if the less important kinds 

 should fail entirely. An indefinite number of mix- 

 tures could be given as samples, but it would occupy 

 more space than can be devoted to it in this volume to 

 give the total number of such that might be used under 

 varying conditions in the various parts of the country. 

 Seedsmen usually make recommendations on this point 

 in their catalogues, but such recommendations cannot 

 be followed implicitly. 



Other things being equal, rich land requires more 

 seed than poor land, and wet land more than dry. A 

 well-prepared seed-bed requires less seed than one 

 poorly prepared, because a larger proportion of the 

 seed finds a chance to germinate. A single pound of 

 timothy-seed to the acre, if every seed produced a 

 thrifty plant, would give 27 plants on every square 

 foot of land. Since it usually requires 12 to 15 lbs. 

 of timothy to secure a good stand it is evident that only 

 a small proportion of the seed sown on even the best- 

 prepared land produce plants. On rough, cloddy land 

 the proportion is much smaller. Seedsmen, in their 

 recommendations as to the amounts to sow, make a 

 good deal of allowance for poorly prepared land, and 



