One progressive Bitterroot rancher, who has used the preparatory crop 

 net hod for four years, says that each tine his grain crop has more than 

 paid all reseeding costs. He has, in this way, established several 

 hundred acres of crested wheatgrass without a failure on land formerly 

 in dense cheatgrass. 



Other abandoned farm lands, such as those that may be occupied by mix- 

 tures of cheatgrass, sagebrush, and perennial weeds and grasses, may be 

 handled in either of the two methods described for cheatgrass or by 

 wheatland plowing and seeding, as described for sagebrush land. 



T .7hat to seed :- Crested wheatgrass can be recommended for almost any 

 abandoned farm land in Montana, and is the only species that can yet 

 be generally recommended for the poorer grades. 



Intermediate wheatgrass, big bluegrass, sheep fescue, meadow brome, 

 Ladak alfalfa, and Russian wildrye are showing considerable promise at 

 several locations in the State, and can be recommended for small scale 

 plantings either in pure stands or in mixtures with crested wheatgrass 

 on average or better sites. When seeded alone, big bluegrass and sheep 

 fescue should be covered less than the 3/4 inch mentioned as a general 

 recommendation. The rates given are suggested for drilling. 





: Poor 



to average 



Better than av. 



Species 



j soil 



& moisture 



moisture 





1 lbs 



1 



. per acre 



lbs. T>er acre 



Crested wheatgrass 



i 

 i 



8-6 



4 



Blue stem wheatgrass 



1 



i 



0-4 





Smooth brcmegrass 



i 

 i 

 l 









Total: 



j 



8-10 



10 



When tc seed : Seed stubble land or unprepared seedbeds in the fall, 

 September to November, and clean plowed ground or cultivated stubble land 

 in the early spring, preferably before May 1. 



BURZZjD-OVER TEIBEEL^ID . 



In many cases, loss can be reduced and forage production greatly increased 

 by prompt and proper seeding after forest fires. Areas to be seeded must 

 be selected carefully, as not every burn represents a good seeding chance. 

 The best opportunities are on good sites with dense stands of timber where 

 the fire was hot enough to kill practically all vegetation. The ash left 

 from such a burn is usually deep enough to provide good cover for grass seed 

 and a ready supply of plant food to help the seedlings off to a good start. 



-18 



