so GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



rightly and usually attain the height of about two feet, 

 but in some instances they grow to a height of four to 

 five feet. They are surmounted by a handsome circular 

 spike or head, which is also elongated, and is usually 

 about three to four inches long, but sometimes they are 

 produced as long as 12 inches. When in full bloom a 

 held of timothy is an attractive sight, especially in the 

 early morning while the dew lingers. The whole field, 

 at such times, presents the appearance of a sea of fila- 

 ments standing out from the heads and sustaining deli- 

 cate and, in a sense, almost colorless flowers. The leaf 

 growth cannot be said to be large in proportion to the 

 stems, but it is fine and makes good grazing in the early 

 season. When the plants grow closely, the growth of 

 stem is fine, which of course increases the palatability of 

 the hay. The root growth is fibrous and bulbous. The 

 fibrous character is greater relatively in good and moist 

 soils and the bulbous in poor soils. In any event the 

 bulbs are small and the plants feed chiefly not very far 

 from the surface. 



Timothy is perennial and under the most favorable 

 conditions will grow at least a score of good crops in suc- 

 cession, but under conditions that are not really favora- 

 ble, it is short lived. Ordinarily it will grow several 

 good "crops in succession before it is necessary to break 

 up the sod. It grows rather slowly compared with some 

 of the other food grasses, and ordinarily it makes but 

 little growth the same season subsequently to its being 

 mown for hay. 



There are several varieties of timothy, but these are 

 known only to botanists. At least the seed has not come 



