90 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



on such soils, it will soon prove more than a match for 

 nearly all forms of weed life. 



Preparing the Soil. — The preparation that is best 

 suited to the sowing of bine grass will vary with the 

 soil, the climatic conditions, and the season for sow- 

 ing. Sandy soils and also humus and muck soils are 

 usually possessed of a pulverization sufficiently fine to 

 secure good germination in the seed. The labor in 

 preparing these is one of smoothing and levelling rather 

 than one of pulverizing after they have been ploughed 

 or disked. In some instances impaction, through the 

 use of the roller, will be helpful. Loam soils may call 

 for more of pulverization, but usually the labor in pre- 

 paring these is not great. Clay soils are the most difii- 

 cult by far to prepare, owing to the labor called for in 

 pulverizing them. In many instances they are cloddy, 

 hence much harrowing and rolling alternately are usual- 

 ly necessary to secure a tilth sufficiently fine. This 

 work may in some instances be greatly facilitated by not 

 failing to take advantage of propitious seasons for se- 

 curing the requisite fineness of pulverization, as for in- 

 stance, after the falling of gently saturating rains, but 

 not too soon after these fall. Where rainfall is abun- 

 dant and well distributed, a fine pulverization is not 

 so necessary as under conditions the opposite. 



On lands newly cleared of timber, no further prepa- 

 ration is necessary or even possible usually, than clear- 

 ing off the encumbering logs and brush. And even 

 such clearing may not always be absolutely necessary, 

 as among logs and brush not dense or tall, it may be 

 quite possible to start blue grass growing. On stubble 



