MISC. PUBLICATION 99 2, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



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Figure 1. — Left, Yellow sweetclover, 1/4-inch compressed earthen pellets and 

 nonpelleted seed; Right, crested wheatgrass, 5/i6-inch compressed earthen 

 pellets and nonpelleted seed. 



Table 1. — Characteristics of seed and compressed seed pellets used in 

 seeding the Manti-LaSal project in Utah, 1948 



Species 



Bulbous bluegrass_ 



Timothy 



Yellow sweetclover 

 Crested wheatgrass 



Orchardgrass 



Smooth brome 



Tall oatgrass 





Ratio: seed 





Germi 



Diameter 

 of pellet 



weight to 

 pellet 



Average 

 seeds per 









weight 



pellet 



Before 

 pelleting 



Inches 





Number 



Percent 



% 



1:31 



10. 2 



98 



% 



1:33 



25. 4 



92 



l A 



1:39 



4. 6 



92 



h Ai 



1:30 



8. 7 



95 



He 



1:54 



18. 2 



86 



% 



1:74 



4. 3 



62 



% 



1:97 



3. 6 



89 



After 

 pelleting 



Percent 



11 



18 

 78 

 39 

 33 

 28 

 41 



Source: Tables 5 and 6, Bleak and Phillips (1950). 



1951). With 5 seeds per pellet, as recommended for crested wheat- 

 grass, and 1 pellet per square foot, there would be 217,800 seeds or 

 1.2 pounds of seed per acre. 



The ratio of seed to soil weight varies with the seed and pellet size. 

 The range for grass seed is from 1:20 to 1:920 (Rudolf, 1949; Bleak 

 and Phillips, 1950; Tisdale and Piatt, 1951). Thus, from 20 to 920 

 pounds of soil must be handled and transported with every pound of 

 seed. The average for %-inch crested wheatgrass pellets is 1 :60. At 

 a seeding rate of 1 pellet per square foot and 1.2 pounds of seed per 

 acre, this is 72 pounds of soil per acre. Even at low seeding rates, the 

 weight to be carried by airplane is considerable. 



