620 Grasses and Leguminous Crops in New York 



small importance provided all could agree on the use of one classi- 

 fication. There are four of these grasses of some commercial 

 importance. Three of these, Rhode Island Bent (Agrostis vul- 

 garis), Creeping Bent {Agrostis stolonifera) , and Velvet Bent 

 {Agrostis caniiia), are valuable lawn grasses, but of little value 

 for hay or grazing. Redtop {Agrostis alba) is the most valuable 

 grass belonging to this group from the standpoint of a farm crop. 

 Redtop is a perennial, with slender, erect, smooth stems, one 

 to two feet high, arising from creeping rootstocks. The leaves 

 are flat, narrow, and slightly rough, and two to three inches long. 



VALUE 



To many farmers redtop is considered a valuable grass, while 

 others look on it as worthless and in some cases as a pest. It may 

 be well to look at the good qualities of the plant first, and then 

 take up its objectionable features. Redtop will grow on a great 

 variety of soils and under a wide range of climatic conditions. 

 It is the best wet land grass among the economic species-. Lands 

 that are too wet for redtop are hopeless as far as growing tame 

 hay is concerned. On the other hand, redtop is often used to 

 cover banks and terraces that are too diy for blue grass and most 

 other lawn grasses. It has considerable value as a sand binder 

 and is often used for that purpose. 



Redtop grows in every state of the Union, but is of greatest 

 value in the eastern half of the United States. It survives the 

 coldest winters of the northern states and the hottest summers of 

 the South, provided conditions of moisture are favorable. As 

 previously stated, it is not very particular in regard to moisture 

 conditions. Add to these qualifications the facts that it will 

 thrive on soils so sour that timothy and red clover fail; that it 

 makes a fair yield ; that it makes good pasture and will with- 

 stand heavy trampling; and that it lasts for many years when 

 once seeded : it is then easy to see that there is a place for redtop 

 in American agriculture, and that it is worthy of careful con- 

 sideration. 



The chief objections to redtop are that it makes a smaller 

 yield of hay than timothy or clover ; that the hay is wiry and not 



