96 PERMANENT AND TEMPORARY PASTURES 



and perhaps the easiest way of arriving at a conclusion will be 

 to consider separately the relative merits of spring and autumn 

 sowing. 



Spring Sowing. — The term 'spring sowing' is here in- 

 tended to apply to the months of March, April, and May, 

 and as a rule it is better to sow early than late. In the early 

 spring the soil is generally moist enough to keep the plants 

 growing after they have made a start. But as the season 

 advances the state of the ground becomes increasingly critical 

 in this respect, and there is the risk that it may become too dry 

 to maintain the grasses until the next rainfall. Then follows 

 the extreme mortification of seeing a promising plant gradually 

 wither away. 



April is properly regarded as a safe and favourable 

 month in which to sow, but if the seed-bed is ready and the 

 land in working order by the middle of March, there need be 

 no scruple as to putting in the seed. And should there 

 happen to be signs of approaching rain, it is worth any 

 reasonable effort to get the sowing done and the land rolled 

 down before a change of weather can stop the work. It is 

 an advantage to sow before rather than immediately after a 

 shower, even supposing the land can be worked soon after 

 rainfall, which may or may not be the case. The seeds 

 gradually absorb moisture from soil and dew until rain comes, 

 and then the plants rapidly spring up. 



To sow later than the end of May is most hazardous. 

 Even the middle of May will often be too late, especially 

 on heavy soils, which in a dry season are also liable to crack, 

 to the injury of the grasses. 



Now comes the question as to sowing alone or upon a 

 corn crop. This depends on the object in view, as well as on 

 the length of the purse. Apart from the money considera- 

 tion, each method has its advocates, and undoubtedly there 

 are sound reasons to be urged in favour of either practice. 



