IMPROVEMENTS OF COASTAL PLAINS, 
MEADOWS, SEEPS, CIENAGAS 
Many stock ranches and ranges of California, from the 
tidal flats to the highest elevations, contain favorable or 
excessive moisture areas known by one of the names given 
above. 
These areas ate potentially high in production of hay 
and pasture, but have often become so overgrown with 
sedges, rushes and other water-loving or weedy types of 
vegetation that their productive capacity is greatly reduced. 
Renovation and reseeding should result in a marked im- 
provement in the quantity and quality of the forage. 
For the best and most permanent results it is necessary 
to break out and thoroughly subdue the sod. Areas that 
are too wet for plowing at any time of the year cannot 
be successfully reclaimed except by installing a drainage 
system to intercept and draw off the excess water. A drain- 
age engineer should be consulted as to the most effective 
layout to accomplish this. If drainage is not possible the 
best method is probably to gradually establish Reed Canary 
grass, or other water tolerant plants, by seeding or by the 
use of clones (root and crown pieces). 
When the renovation of a wet and sod-bound soil is to 
be attempted the possibility of erosion should be consid- 
ered. Many of these seepage areas are subject to flooding 
from melting snow or heavy rainfall. If it is known that 
this is likely to be severe enough to gully the area under 
consideration then the safest procedure is to break out 
strips across the erosion contour so that only a Suet sec- 
tion is exposed in any one year. 
Renovation procedure depends on the character of the 
sod to be worked. Sometimes a thorough disking will suf- 
fice. If it is a dense sod, such as wiregrass, it is best to turn 
it thoroughly with a sod plow cutting at a depth of two to 
three inches. After plowing, the area should be disked into 
_ a rough seedbed and sown to oats with or without a 
legume, such as vetch. By the time this crop is taken off 
for hay the sod will be rotted out so that a good seedbed 
can be prepared for sowing the small-seeded plants used 
for hay and pasture. Usually the oat crop will leave a sur- 
face that is firm enough for sowing by drilling or broad- © 
casting after a thorough but shallow disking. The seed 
can be pushed into the soil with a cultipacker and this will 
leave a high percent of it suitably placed for good germi- 
nation and growth. 
Seeding on the uncultivated sod of a meadow or seep 
has generally resulted in failure. However, a gradual 
“take” of some species may be attained with less effort 
but more patience. If the sod can be even slightly cut with 
