TIME OF SEEDING: It is optional to seed in either fall 
ot spring, but fall seeding is recommended when it can be 
done at the proper time. Fall and winter moisture and tem- 
peratures are usually favorable for plants to establish them- 
selves so that vigorous and sturdy growth follows in the 
spring. There is less danger of soil crusting to prevent plant 
emergence at that time of the year. Where there is danger 
of continued cold weather spring planting is advisable. 
MANAGEMENT: The full value of a permanent pasture 
is seldom obtained the first year. Many seeded perennials do 
not fully develop until the second or third season. The rye- 
grasses start rapidly like annuals and provide an abundance 
of feed the first season. But when sown too heavily they 
tend to crowd out the slower starting perennials so that the 
eventual mixture may not be fully representative of the 
species used. Since permanence is desired the ryegrasses 
should be used sparingly. 
Grasses and legumes have the highest nutritive values up 
to the bloom stage of each recurrent growth period. During 
this stage of growth proteins, vitamins and minerals are in 
some cases three to four times as great as they are at the 
mature stage. The early growth, after the leaves are fully 
formed, is also more palatable and digestible and less fibrous. 
Pastures grazed during this period will return the highest 
values in meat and milk. Neither a uniform diet nor good 
nutrition can be obtained by transferring stock from closely 
cropped pastures to lush growth. 
Overgrazing weakens the stand by not allowing the plants 
to nourish themselves and maintain vigorous growth. This 
invites weeds to occupy the spaces vacated by dead or weak- 
ened pasture plants. Overgrazing often upsets the balance of 
grasses and legumes originally planted resulting in an un- 
desirable predominance of one or the other. The objective 
should be to avoid the soft wateriness of very young plants 
by overgrazing, or fibrous overmaturity by undergrazing. 
On some soils a natural predominance may eventually take 
place in favor of either the grasses or the legumes. This can 
often be overcome by adopting a fertilizer program. Grasses 
will invariably respond to nitrogen. Legumes usually respond 
to phosphate or sulphur. 
Whenever a pasture shows a tendency to become coarse, 
stemmy, or tufty, and is reaching an advanced stage of matur- 
ity where it is not relished by pasturing stock, then the mower 
should be used to reduce the sward and bring it back to graz- 
ing proportions. 
Properly regulated continuous pasturage, or short grazing 
rotations calculated to keep the forage at reasonably uniform 
height and maturity will result in an even and uniform ration, 
good animal nutrition and health with a maximum per acre 
yield of meat or milk. 
