SOWING GRASS SEEDS 97 



When a first-class pasture or an ornamental park sward 

 is wanted as quickly as possible, and the cost is of no 

 importance, the sowing of grass and clover seeds without 

 corn will, in the majority of seasons, produce the most 

 satisfactory pasture in the shortest time. Opportunity is thus 

 afforded for early and frequent mowing, which tends to 

 strengthen the young grass. A still more valuable service 

 is rendered by the scythe in preventing weeds from seeding, 

 and these are certain to be troublesome enough under the 

 most favourable conditions. On the other hand, in an 

 extremely dry summer, the shelter of a light corn crop will 

 prove of great value to the young grass plant. It may even 

 result in an actual gain of time. Without its aid there is a 

 possibility that the grasses may stand still or completely fail for 

 want of moisture. An established pasture when burned brown 

 by the sun speedily recovers its verdure after rain, but young 

 grasses cannot endure so fiery an ordeal. 



The assistance rendered in checking weeds is another 

 benefit derived from a corn crop. To appreciate its value, 

 compare one of the finer grasses with some weed growing 

 near, and it will at once be apparent that the delicate stripling 

 has no chance of resisting its masterful neighbour. The 

 annual weeds will die out by-and-by, but in the meantime 

 almost every one of them will destroy some grass plants. It 

 follows that the more abundant the weeds the thinner will 

 be the pasture, and until the grasses tiller out and cover the 

 ground the crop will be proportionately small. Unfortunately, 

 both drought and weeds prove more injurious to the smaller 

 than to the coarser grasses. The fact that corn assists in 

 the battle against both foes is quite sufficient to account for 

 the very general practice of sowing permanent grass seeds 

 with a corn crop. 



On the pecuniary value of the corn it is needless to 

 dwell. The point is too important to escape attention, and, 

 as a rule, this consideration is alone sufficient to determine 



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