17 



the mower or scythe. If sown alone the first of October, a crop of hay 

 the next season may be cut perhaps equal to any it will ever afterward 

 yield and worth more than a crop of wheat or corn. 



"The time to cut for hay is just before the seeds ripen, but if seeds 

 are desired let them ripen, and, if cut immediately, it will still make fine 

 hay. For pastures I would advise a mixture of orchard grass with it. 

 Orchard grass j?rows well in the same soil with herd's grass." 



The seed of herd's grass is very easily saved. The grass may be cut 

 with a self-binding reaper when the seed attains maturity. The bundles 

 may be put into shocks without caps and the seed will be dry enough in 

 a few days to thresh. It is difficult to separate the chafT from the seed 

 as the seed is very light but the stand will be just as good to sow the 

 seed in the chaff as to have it clean. Herd's grass seed in the chaff sells 

 low and there should be no stint in the sowing. Some people recom- 

 mend the sowing of two or three bushels to the acre and even as high as 

 four when a dense sod is wanted in a lawn or pasture. The experience 

 of the writer is that one bushel to the acre in the chafT is sufficient when 

 sown for pasture upon land thoroughly prepared. 



ORCHARD GRASS— (Dactylis glotnerata.)— (Pasture and Hay.) 



Orchard grass is diffused extensively all over Europe, from Norway 

 and Russia to Portugal and is also found growing in Northwestern 

 Africa, in India and in Asia Minor. It is cultivated with profit in all the 

 states east of the Mississippi river that lie between 35 and 47 degrees 

 north latitude, and in nearly every state between the Mississippi river 

 and the Rocky Mountains. In New York it is the favorite grass. It 



was known in England for 

 many centuries but its good 

 qualities were not appreciated 

 until it was introduced into 

 that country from Virginia in 

 17G4 by the Society of Arts. 

 It is a very hardy perennial, a 

 vigorous grower and flour- 

 ishes as well in the shade as 

 in the sunshine. Owing to 

 this habit of the grass it takes 

 the name of orchard grass in 

 the United States. In Eng- 

 land it is called cock's-loot. 

 It is grown with success in 

 woodland pastures, having 

 generous soils. 



SOILS — Orchard grass 

 grows upon every soil not sat- 

 urated with water. Its pref- 

 erence is an alluvial soil, mod- 

 erately dry, porous and with a 

 considerable amount of sandy 

 material in it. Stiff, clayey 



. Spike- 

 let, ij. Empty gliinie.s. li. Floret, 

 witli staineus and pistil. 



