Under ordinary circumstances and with tempo rary seedage, the sowing of the grass with a grain crop is advisable because it economizes the use of the land. It is well to mow the grass early the first year, even if it is to be used as a pasture. This prevents the grasses going to seed and thus weak ening themselves. It may not be advisable to seed with a grain crop when an expensive seed mixture is used in seeding permanently, when the land is very rich— the grain crop would lodge—nor when it is so poor in condition that it could not carry both crops.
Number and weight of grass seeds and amount to sow.
It is hardly possible to give the exact formulm for seeding land to grass. The following notes are merely suggestive and may need modification to meet varying conditions. As already stated, various authorities have asserted that 10,000,000 to 20, 000,000 viable grass and clover seeds should be sown per acre, the lesser quantity when the clovers constitute a large proportion of the seed mixture or the land is seeded for but one or two years, and the larger quantity for permanent grass-land. The following table has been adapted from " The Best Forage Plants," by Stebler and Schroeter, and from it calculations may be made. The actual number of grains in a pound will frequently vary 20 per cent either way ; for example, in recleaned fancy seed there are fewer grains to the pound, while in an uncleaned sample free from chaff, but containing many small seeds, the number will be greater.
The recleaned seed weighs heavier per bushel. The uncleaned seed may con tain a large proportion of chaff and in such case the number of seeds per pound of material may be very low. The numbers given are per pound of pure seed. The percentage of germination of average samples of seed is fre quently but half, and even less than half, of that given in the table. The germination of the rye grasses given in the table is a little higher than ordinarily found in the United States, even with imported seed. Low germinating power may be due to lack of uniformity in ripening the seed ; to part of the seed on a plant being mature before the remainder, frequently seen in meadow foxtail ; or to poor methods of harvesting, as in Kentucky blue-grass.
Testing seed.
In testing the seed for germination power and purity it is more satisfactory to weigh out a sample of the seed, separate the chaff and inert matter, weigh it, and then proceed to make a germination test of the remainder. For example, if a sample of
awnless brome grass contain 10 per cent of dirt and chaff, and 75 per cent of the pure seeds are viable, the actual germination power of the sample is 67.5 per cent, or 75 x 90 100 = 67.5 Mixing seed.
It is important that each kind of seed be pur chased separately in order to permit an examina tion for purity. When satisfied that the seeds are as desired, the different ones may be mixed for is the least amount on the top of the pile ; with scoop-shovels proceed to turn over the pile, putting it on a new base. A skilful man will give the shovel a twist by a mere turn of the wrist which will insure very good mixing of the different seeds. When the bulk of the pile has been made on the new site, the remaining seeds should be swept toward the new pile and the operation repeated. Four or five turnings will probably be necessary to secure a complete blending of the different seeds, and the process should be continued until a perfect mixture has been secured.
Examples of seed mixtures which would furnish 20,000,000 seeds, and the weight of same : seeding. It is desirable that seeds which are of a similar size and character should be mixed and sown together ; for example, it is much better to mix timothy seed with any clover which is being sown, provided that both are being sown at the same time, than to mix it with chaffy seeds, such as Kentucky blue-grass, meadow fescue or orchard grass. If there are two compartments on the seed barrow, then clover and timothy should be mixed and sown in one, and the chaffy seeds, such as meadow fescue, Kentucky blue-grass, orchard-grass, rye-grass, should be sown in the other compart ment. Awnless brome grass is better sown by itself, since it requires different treatment. It not only requires much larger holes in the seed drill or barrow, but it is necessary to cover it much better than most of the other grass seeds.
In mixing, take the seed of which there is the greatest bulk and empty it on a tight floor, a good cement barn floor or something of a similar nature being desirable ; empty the next largest quantity on top, and so on, putting the seed of which there For pasture, for two years' duration, the Ontario Agricultural College sows per acre : 7 lbs. red clover, 2 lbs. alsike clover, 4 lbs. timothy, 5 lbs. orchard-grass. If wanted for hay, the orchard grass is omitted.