6 LEAFLET 104, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



to occur. The most satisfactory distance between rows is 36 to 42 

 inches for either single or double rows. New row plantings can be 

 marked for early cultivation, by mixing about 10 percent of winter 

 rye (in the fall) or small-seeded oats (in the spring) with the grass seed. 

 In the northern Great Plains a seeding rate of 5 to 8 pounds per 

 acre of good seed is most satisfactory for solid or close drilling. Where 

 moisture conditions are more favorable, the rate of seeding may be 

 increased to 10 to 12 pounds per acre. Where the moisture supply is 

 limited, a too-heavy stand results in decreased yields. In cases 

 where it is desired to seed a considerable area of abandoned land as 

 cheaply as possible, the seeding rate can be decreased to 3 or 4 pounds 

 per acre although it may take 1 or 2 years longer to establish a good 



Figure 2. — Crested wheatgrass grown in rows for seed production, 

 Dickinson, N. Dak. 



stand. If a furrow drill is not available it may be necessary to plug 

 every other cup on the drill to obtain such a light seeding. If allowed 

 to produce a seed crop, thin stands are gradually thickened by the 

 ability of this grass to volunteer. In cultivated rows 1 or 2 pounds of 

 good seed per acre is ample for single rows and 2 or 3 pounds for double 

 rows 36 to 42 inches apart. 



Crested wheatgrass should not be seeded with a nurse crop in dry- 

 land areas as the small seedlings cannot stand the competition for 

 moisture. 



Treatment 



Ordinarily a close-drilled field of crested wheatgrass does not 

 require any attention during the year that it is sown. In a favorable 

 season a light crop may be produced, but it is usually advisable to 

 permit the grass to stand so that it will make enough top growth to 

 catch snow the first winter and the roots will have an opportunity to 

 build up additional food reserves. This vegetative growth should be 



