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30 Straw and Manure Mulches and Nitrogen Fertilization During seedling establishment surface stability is required to keep sand from blowing. Three different mulch treatments were applied after the sandy topsoil was furrowed shallowly and broadcast seeded. 1. Wheat straw applied at the rate of 2 tons/acre and then crimped into the soil with the disc set straight. This treatment resulted in a stubble effect. 2. Manure applied at the rate of 15-ton dry weight per acre. 3. Manure applied at the rate of 30-ton dry weight per acre. The straw rate is the standard rate used in revegeta- tion work. The lower manure rate was the smallest appli- cation that we thought would stabilize the site during ~ establishment. This low manure rate was doubled for the high manure rate. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the rate of 150 pounds per acre (50 pounds N per acre) was applied to one=half of each mulched plot on 10 July. Plant density was nearly twice as great on the 15-ton manure rate as on the straw mulch or 30-ton manure rate (Table 7). This was apparently because crimping in the straw buried some seed too deep. There were a considerable number of wheat seedlings established on the straw mulch plots. This wheat may have provided stiff initial compe- tition to grass seedlings, although the wheat grew slowly later in the season. The high manure rate apparently covered some grass seed too deep. Plant cover at the end of the establishment period (6 September) was comparable for all mulch treatments except the straw mulch without nitrogen treatment which had less cover than the other treatments, and the 15-ton manure treatment plus nitrogen which had statistically more cover (Table 7). This study indicates that the low manure rate with nitrogen fertilization is the most favorable. However, this was under experimental conditions where the manure . was handspread. The 30-ton manure rate appears more appropriate under field conditions where spreading would .- not be as uniform. The manure is favored over the straw mulch in that it would probably be less expensive, intro- duces fewer grassey weeds, and supplies N and P.