The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-02-23

can be sown very early in the spring,
and the plants will become well estab-
lished before the hot dry weather be-
gins. It should be remembered that
one can hardly SOW grass seed too
early in the spring.
The Mixture to Select.
Many OF the grass mixtures given
out by the seed houses are silly con
glomeraions, some of which are
made up OF few good varieties and
then poor ones thrown In simply to
throw chaff into the eye OF the Gus
toner. However, there are many adj
vantages iii mixtures rather than
single seed. Some grasses start very
early iii the spring, while others do
not begin until late In the summer,
and there are scarcely two grasses
that have the same time of growth.
BY combining them we have, there
fore, constant succession OF fresh
succulent grasses. The eVIl In mix
ture is that sometimes there is in 1t
"a grass OF inferior quality, and that
one will be neglected and the others
graZed, so that after q time the in
ferior grass Is left In the ascendancy.
| have tested q number of different
found the following mixtures OF
grasses an excellent one for the In
termountain sections:
Kentucky Blue Grass sown at the
rate Of Q pounds per acre.
Perennial Rye Grass sown at tho
rate OF pounds per acre.
Meadow Fescue sown at the rate
OF 3 pounds per acre.
Red Glover soWn at the rate Of
pounds per acre.
Rep Top sown at the rate Of 6
pounds per acre.
Orchard Grass sown at the rate of
3 pounds per acre.
White Glover sown at the rate OF 2
pounds per acre.
Alfalfa sown at the rate of pounds
per acre.
This mixture Is adapted TO well
drained soils, and has been tested Dy
a great many farmers In these sec
lions with excellent results. For
light sandy soils the following mix
ture Is recommended:
Kentucky Blue Grass sown at the
rate OF 5 pounds per acre.
Meadow Fescue sown at the rate Of
pounds per acre.
Tall Meadow Oats sown at the rate
of pounds per acre.
Bronze Grass sown at the rate Of 5
pounds per acre.
White Glover sown at the rate of
pounds per acre.
Where lands are low and moist
and where drainage Is not possible,
the following mixture of grasses has
given good results:
Perennial Rye Grass sown at the
rate Of pounds per acre.
Red Top sown at the rate OF 10
pounds per acre,
Rhode Island Bent sown at the rate
| OF pounds per acre.
Meadow Fescue sown at the rate of
i 2 pounds per acre.
4 Timothy sown ut the rate of 2
pounds per acre.
Alsike Glove: sown at the rate of 2
pounds per acre.
White Glover sown at the rate of 2
pounds per acre.
II may be thought that we have
used here a very large amount of
seed, In practice, however. 1t is
nearly impossible to get perfect dis
| tributlon of seeds, and equally impos-
sible 10 get them covered uniformly
so that one can count only on a very
small percentage OF termination. In
seeding grasses IL Is extremely inn
portant to get the seed evenly
distributed. Ordinarily one gets the
best results with the use or
those seeders with wing discs that
throw the machine on either side, the
men walking and turning the seed by
hand The wheelbarrow seeder also
gives good results. Drills, of course,
are most efficient, but care must be
taken TO prevent getting the seed too
deep. Blue grass especially, requires
the very highest covering. know.
too. many farmers who advise seeding
these grasses always with a nurse
crop. IL he will SOW one bushel to
the acre of spring barley, selecting a
short strawed strong variety that will
not lodge and then cut early, he will
| be providing shade for the young
grasses and can almost absolutely de.
pend upon success,
! II will be observed after year or
two that some OF the grasses are In
lcreasinE and some are becoming ex'
Itinct. It will be found, therefore, a
wise practice early In the spring as
the snow Is disappearing, to plant the
seed OF those grasses that are disap-
lpearing and then to loosen the grass
sod by the use of sharp tooth har-
row. II is mistake to feel that the
pasture does not need fertilization,
Pasture should be covered at least
Ievery other year with a coating OF well
lrotted barnyard manure, and this thor
Ioughly narrowed so as to give even
distribution, early in the spring. As
a rule we have few days In Febru-
airy when this work can be done to
advantage. Another mistake in hand
ling pastures is to give the animals
the free use of the entire pasture,
1.-The best practice demands that theirs
shall be at least two or three fields
to avoid close grazing. The cattle
should be kept out of one field while
. it is being irrigated, and the grass
allowed to obtain a good start, BY
changing cattle around in different
, fields, there is less waste with the
grasses and there is a decided ad
T vantage gained by way of permitting
the grasses to get a good start