450 Formation of Permanent Pastures. [nov., 



Bearing these two points in mind, it may be worth while, in 

 view of the further experimental study necessary, to discuss this 

 question of the number of seeds. 



The mixtures most recommended for laying down land to 

 permanent grass will be found to contain about twenty million 

 growing seeds. I have tried to ascertain the grounds on 

 which this number has been arrived at. It is possible that it 

 may depend upon figures published by Stebler, or that it 

 represents the number found in the mixtures which general 

 experience has led seedsmen to recommend, but it seems 

 more probable that we owe them to Sinclair. He at least 

 discussed this question of number carefully, and his method was 

 followed by both Lawson and De Laune. By counting the 

 number of plants growing on a square foot, Sinclair estimated 

 that the richest pastures contained about forty-five million 

 plants per acre, and in a well-managed water meadow he 

 estimated the extraordinary total of seventy-nine million rooted 

 plants, or about twelve to the square inch. To supply so many 

 plants, Sinclair remarked that 4^ bushels of a mixture which he 

 recommends would be necessary, and he further says that after 

 making allowance for barren seeds, this quantity " will be found 

 for general practice not too much." He adds, " The practical trial 

 mentioned at page 130 proved precisely the truths of the above 

 calculations." (This experiment was made on two square yards 

 of rich soil, and seed was sown at the rate of 5 bushels per 

 acre.) 



Making allowances for the differences in quality between the 

 grass seeds of 100 years ago and of to-day, Sinclair's recommenda- 

 tions might now be translated to mean that from forty to fifty 

 millions of seeds should be sown in order to reproduce the water 

 meadow, and from twenty to thirty millions for old pastures of the 

 best quality. De Laune recognises the impossibility of sowing so 

 many seeds as are indicated by Sinclair owing to the cost, and he 

 himself recommends a moderate number — about fifteen millions 

 — but Sinclair's opinions are still held by a majority of those 

 who recommend or prepare seeds-mixtures. Sinclair's estimate 

 of the numbers of plants in old pastures appears to me to be extra- 

 ordinarily high, and they can only be accounted for, I think, by 

 assuming that he counted his plants when large numbers of 



