The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-03-15

rngulated Dy more OF less Well-ue-
fned rules, based upon general ex-
psrience and varying somewhat To-
cally. Thus, it is said that three bush
els an acre should be planted of red
top. orchard-grass, and English rye
crass; one-half to one bushel OF tim
othy; and fifteen to twenty-five pounds
cf alfalfa. These rules, however, do
not take into consideration the quail
iiy of the seed used. Assuming, for
example, that three bushels of first
quality seed is meant, then an in
creased amount should be sown when
inferior seed is used. The standard
weight for orchard-grass is fourteen
pounds the bushel and of this about
nine pounds will grow, the remainder
being chaff, dead seeds and weed seeds.
If the seed purchased has lower
termination, say fifty per cent, in
stead of eighty per cent. then only
little more than 5h pounds OF pure
and good seed will be found in every
bushel. Again, if the amount OF char
is greater, there may be only little
more than 81 pounds of pure and good
seed. Three bushels of standard or
chard-grass seed, weighing fourteen
hounds to the bushel, contains twenty
similar stand is desired from seed OF
the same weight but lower germ ma
ton, nearly five bushels to the acre
must be sown, while of seed weighing
twelve pounds bushel and germinat-
ing fifty per cent, 6A bushels will be
needed. On the other hand, if high
grade seed weighing 16A pounds and
terminating ninety per cent. is used,
I>o
of good seed to the bushel, and less
than IL bushels need be used. 1t is
clear from this that the little knowl-
edge one gets of sample of seed by
passing a handful through the fingers
is not a sufficient basis for correct
Judgment of the amount to SOW. A
uniform stand under these conditions
is secured only by chance. Seed may
fail to come up if thus carelessly Sc
lected, although every care has been
taken with the preparation of the land
A combination of grasses is espe-
cially desirable for pasture, giving
more continuous grazing, greater
production of pasture, more variety
and perhaps a better balanced food ra-
ton In choosing grasses for pasture
the object should be to select such va
rieties that the deficiency or one may
be offset by the good qualities OF an
other. Grasses should be chosen
which are different in their periods OF
summer growth and their dates matur-
ing, in order to lengthen the grazing
period and give the greatest amount
and most continuous pasture A com
bination of grasses may be made which
will form a more perfect sod than any
one grass will produce with more
permanent pasture. To illustrate, take
a combination of orchard-grass, mead
oW fescue and bromus inermis. Or
chard-grass starts very early in the
spring, makes rapid growth and ma
lures early in the summer. 1t pro-
duces little during the drier summer
months. 1t has the characteristic OF
growing in punches, but does not form
a sod. Meadow fescue, on the other
hand, starts late in the spring, makes
slow growth in the early part OF the
season and natures several weeks
later than the orchard-grass. Meadow
fescue renews it's growth in the latter
part of the season, making excellent
pasture late into the fall. Like the
orchard grass it also grows in TUFTS,
but is not quite so bunchy, hence
forms with orchard grass better 500