GROWING AND HANDLING. 13 



been sown. It is customary to graze cattle on it nearly the entire 

 year, as thoy do not materially injure the crop of seed if they are kept 

 out for two or three weeks immediately before gathering. The seed 

 is harvested by pulling the heads off with a stripper, the grass not 

 being* cut for hay. The cleaning is a rather difficult process, as it is 

 necessary to rub the heads thoroughly in order to separate the seed 

 from the web at the base. The last of the chaff and dirt which is 

 blown out during the cleaning process is sold as "extra-cleaned"" seed. 



Poa compressa (Canada ])luegrass). — ^The seed of Canada bluegrass 

 is mostly produced in the Province of Ontario, along the north shore 

 of the eastern half of Lake Erie. The soil is a heav}^ clay on lime- 

 stone. In this section Canada bluegrass is not sown, but appears as a 

 volunteer in any fields that are not kept under cultivation, making a 

 thick growth and crowding out other grasses and weeds. It is nearly 

 always found in wheat fields when the wheat crop is a partial failure. 

 In this case the seed, ripening as it does at the same time as the 

 wheat, is thrashed with it and screened out in cleaning. Where the 

 seed is harvested alone the grass is cut with a mowing machine and 

 cured the same as ordinary hay, and afterwards thrashed with a 

 clover huller or grain separator. The ha}' is bright green, even when 

 not cut until after the seed is ripe, and is well liked by some farmers 

 as feed, while it is considered hard and of little value by others. A 

 good crop is from 200 to 300 pounds of clean seed per acre. There 

 has been some demand for this seed in the Southeastern States under 

 the name of Virginia bluegrass. The seed is easily cleaned, as it is 

 comparatively free from wool at the base and does not require rub- 

 bing, as does Kentuck}' bluegrass seed. No special machinery is used 

 except rather long sieves to insure sufficient screening. 



Poa trivial! s (rough-stalked meadow grass). — The wholesale trade 

 in the seed of rough-stalked meadow grass is largely confined to the 

 city of Hamburg, Germany. The seed is collected in the neighbor- 

 hood of that city and in the marshes of the Elbe. Seed of good 

 quality is also supplied from Denmark, where in one locality this 

 grass is grown especially for seed, and it is said to yield as much as 

 400 pounds to the acre. The seed is stripped or the grass is cut and 

 the seed allowed to after-ripen, when it is cleaned by hand. 



Poa neiiioralls (wood meadow grass). — The seed of wood meadow 

 gmss is gathered by hand in the woods of Germany, and cleaned in 

 the same manner as is the seed of Poa trivlalis. 



Poa trijlora (fowl meadow grass). — Though widely distributed 

 throughout the noi'thern portion of the United States, this species is 

 chiefly a natural meadow grass of lowlands, and is usually so mixed 

 with sedges and other grasses that seed collection on a commercial 

 scale has not thus far been undertaken in this country. The seed of 

 this species on the market comes from Europe and is very poor. 



