288 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



amount to sow should be varied with the soil and the use 

 that is to be made of the food. Thick sowing is neces- 

 sary on very rich soils where growth fine in character is 

 wanted. The amounts of seed mentioned as the proper 

 amounts to sow, run all the way from 20 to 50 pounds 

 per acre, but, in the judgment of the author, from 20 

 to 30 pounds should be sufficient. When sown with 

 crimson clover, 10 pounds each of the rye grass and 

 clover under average conditions would be proper 

 amounts to sow. 



Pasturing. — Although as previously intimated, Ital- 

 ian rye grass is not valuable as permanent pasture, 

 it furnishes excellent temporary grazing. When de- 

 voted to such use, however, it should be kept well grazed 

 to prevent the plants from reaching the earing stage, as 

 like other gi-ass pastures they will then produce more 

 and better grazing. In the far South it will produce 

 •winter grazing at a time when both Johnson grass and 

 Bermuda grass are dormant. The color of the butter 

 made from the milk of cows grazed on it has been 

 praised. Because of its great power to take up fertiliz- 

 ers quickly, its growth may be stimulated by applying 

 certain of these, as may be desired, either when grazing 

 this grass or growing it for hay. 



Harvesting for Hay. — Owing to the rapidity with 

 which Italian rye grass grows, it may be made to pro- 

 duce two or more cuttings a year of hay and several 

 cuttings of soiling food. When irrigated, the water 

 should be applied at once after each cutting. It is then 

 also that liquid manures and other forcing fertilizers 

 ought to be applied. This is frequently done in Great 



