The Blue Grasses in New York State 631 



Kentucky blue grass has some weaknesses as a forage plant, 

 however, and these should be recognized. Commercial seed is 

 usually low in germinating power. It will not grow well on acid 

 soil, and even under good soil conditions takes possession of the 

 ground slowly. During protracted dry weather in July and 

 August, growth is likely to be seriously checked ; and in regions 

 where such droughts are common the pasture must be supple- 

 mented with some other form of forage. 



CANADA BLUE GRASS 



As compared with Kentucky blue this grass is characterized by 

 a greenish blue color; shorter, flattened culms with nearly solid, 

 zigzag stems ; short, narrow panicles with three to nine seeds to a 

 spikelet. Seed diti'erences are microscopical. Kentucky blue has 

 a more pointed lemma and is usually five-nerved, while Canada 

 blue has a shorter seed and the nerves have a tendency to be mar- 

 ginal. 



Canada blue grass is generally looked upon in 'Sew York State 

 as complementary to Kentucky blue grass. On poor, strongly 

 acid, or extremely diy soils it may be grown to the exclusion of 

 Kentucky blue. On fertile soils of high lime content it should 

 not be sown. There are large areas, however, where a mixture of 

 the two is not only profitable but desirable. 



Like Kentucky blue, it should be sown in a mixture of other 

 grasses and clovers. The following combination will be found 

 desirable for the poorer lands of New York State: 



Pounds 

 per acre 



Timothy 10 



Redtop 6 



Canada blue grass 4 



Alsike clover 4 



White clover 2 



26 



Within a few years the chief herbage on land sown to this mix- 

 ture will be redtop and Canada blue grass. 



