Gunnison news-champion., 1924-04-25
HOW TO SEED THE
PERMANENT PASTURE

lBy Harry Smith, Agricultural College.
/ Fort Collins
| he success Of your pasture. laying
zafe weather conditions Of which We
Ia.- no control. depends upon the fol-
Ia.l-- farorss the kind Of soil. the
urararati0U Of seed bed, seeding and
Icase 4 pasture.
Choice Of Field
| IA ruUcs frUm deep rooted grasses
ihlre carrying capacity enough 50 that
I iyau can sToEi TO put in a pasture on
fang .aud that you can afford 20 grow
Ia'flifa on At the same time, your
p0nrer lands viii give you = good re
itUrr in grass
| Seed Bed
After selecting a good plot OF
igrUgni. the next essential in growing
Ia good crop Of any kind is the prepara-
i-0n Of 4 good bed. To the farmers
j. beet districts, little need be said re-
lFarding the Importance Of this opera
itur.
1 The time 20 prepare the seed bed is
lwheu the ground will work up in the
! good mellow condition, which only hap
lprus = few days during the spring
lime. Also prepare properly before
seeding. Experience has taught me
that a number of farmers partially
prepare their seed bed, plant and then
Itry TO finish preparing the seed bed;
this does not give good results.
! II possible. SOW pasture grasses on
| fall pIowed land as the action Of the
winter elements leaves the soil in n
lmuch better physical condition for
plant growth Also, there is less dan
| ger Of the soil crusting so badly.
II ground is plOwed in the spring.
do not turn up any new soil for past
ure grass. II any new soil is turned
up, we find it practically lifeless, and
/ will run together and bake like oe-
| ment when il gets wet. As grass is
! -"eded very shallow, we want all
1 strength possible near surface TO re-
ccive a good termination.
Il is a good practice TO disc ground
before we pillow. especially. more so
s. Ith the spring plowed land. The
q scing enables US to secure n frmer
seed bed The spike tooth harrow is
the best tool that a farmer has TO firm
his seed bed. We cannot pack or firm
clois: we must pulverize all clods be-
fore We can firm a seed bed. Some
| farmers will use a roller for this pur-
pose. but experience has taught US
! that the roller is n dangerous tool TO
use. unless i, is applied at the right
time. On dry and light soils, it is a
good tool. A survey shows that only
| II per cent of the farmers use the
roller to firm seed beds, and il was
used mainly in the lighter soils around
Greeley. Colo. The roller and float or
drag will leave the surface Of the soil
pleasing TO the eve, but that does not
1 Indicate the condition beneath the sur
face. With firm seed bed, we have
| few air spaces and good capillary at
4 traction which is necessary for plant
/ growth.
= In leyeling the seed bed, we want to
use the foat or drag TO level the
ground, so that water will spread even
ly over the ground. This is per-
manent pasture so take pains in level
ing and hrning the seed bed. Also,
after the roller, float or drag, harrow
lightly so as TO break up the smooth
surface and prevent loss of water
When to Sow
Sow just as early as the ground
will work without pudding. Grass
and clover seeds are not hurt by spring
freezing. nor are the young plants.
How to Sow
Experience has taught US that II is
best to seed this grass mixture broad
cast, and in two seedlings, the light
seeds such as bronze, orchard and
meadow fescue in one seeding, and
timothy and sweet clover which are
heavier seeds at one seeding and Glow
er with the harrow Seeding in this
manner, we get an even distribution of
seed. Drills can be used If the grass
seed box is on the rear of the main
grain box. II grass seed is nun dowr
the drill spout, it will be buried so
deep that much of it will not come
through. the ground.
Cover Crop
One third of regular seeding of
barley or oats should be used to keep
down weeds, and lessen the cost Of
putting the land down to grass. Bar
ley Is preferable because it natures
earlier. The cover crop must be got
ten off the ground at the earliest pos
sible moment so as not to dry out the
soil or smother the young grass
Winrows or shocks should be removed
at once.
Pasturing the First Season
Do not pasture the first season, no
matter how good the pasture looks.
1t is best to take crop of hay the
second season, but in case you have q
very good sod, you can pasture light
ly, but do not turn stuff on pasture
until the grass is from six to eight in