SOWING PASTURE SEEDS 57 



Practical Sowing 



Essentials for Success. — Beyond a fine, firm and level seed-bed, the 

 necessity for which has been already demonstrated, a sufficiently dry soil to 

 permit of the harrow and roller working without clogging and a day still 

 enough for the seeds to be distributed tolerably regularly are essential. 



Preparation for Seeds. — Immediately before sowing a harrow must be 

 run over the land. When it is merely intended to roll the seed in, a ring, or 

 Cambridge, roller may be substituted for the harrow. 



Sowing the Cereal. — Sow the protective cereal broadcast, mixed with 

 what Sainfoin and Tall oat-grass seeds are to be used ; and harrow the sowing 

 in. If intended to mature for grain or straw, the corn is sometimes drilled 

 alone, so that the pasture shall not be too densely shaded ; but the method 

 of broadcasting appears to keep weeds in check better by more fully 

 occupying the ground with the grasses and clovers. 



Preparation of Mixtures. — Separate the seeds to be sown into 2 

 mixtures, containing respectively the heavy and light species. Where the 

 slight additional expense of crossing the land a third time is not a con- 

 sideration, make a separate mixture of the Meadow-grasses and Crested 

 dogstail-grass, though this is unnecessary when the seeds are to be only 

 rolled in and not covered with a harrow. 



Distributing and Covering. — Though excellent results are often 

 obtained by skilful broadcasting, the seed-barrow distributes the grains nearer 

 to the ground, and should therefore be preferred under ordinary conditions. 



The heavy seeds must be sown up and down the field, the lighter mixture 

 following next across the land. 



The whole should then be touched over as lightly as possible with a bush 

 or light iron harrow. If the soil be heavy, the process of harrowing may be 

 omitted if desired. 



Immediately after the harrowing, the mixture of the Meadow-grasses and 

 Crested dogstail-grass is sown ; and finally a tolerably heavy roller must be 

 passed over the whole field twice in opposite directions. 



When sown in a winter cereal, the seeds cannot be harrowed in, but are 

 merely pressed into the surface with a roller, as this operation does not 

 injure the corn at all. 



