312 GRASSES OF IOWA. 



MEADOW AND PASTURE GRASSES. 



Little positiv'^e can be said of the early cultivation of grasses, 

 as there is much uncertainty about the specific kinds used by 

 the early agriculturists. 



So long as pastoral conditions prevailed there was no need 

 of cultivating grasses or giving much attention to the sabject, 

 but the strong competition and the improving of tilled land 

 called for their cultivation. The ancients cultivated some 

 legumes, but special attention was not given to grasses, except 

 cereals. Sinclair* states that: "Distinguished agriculturists 

 and farmers agree in the opinion that the knowledge of the 

 comparative merits and value of all the different species and 

 varieties of grasses, and, consequently of the best mode of cul- 

 tivating them, is very much behind that of the other branches 

 of practical culture." 



Very little has been done in this country to select and breed 

 grasses as we do cereals and other plants. Olcottf of Connec- 

 ticut has a turf-grass garden at South Manchester. His plan 

 is to make of pure grass a commodity, capable of being trans- 

 ferred. In these sods, also, he has a valuable object lesson in 

 turf-grass culture. 



Professor Hopkins J of the West Virginia Agricultural Exper- 

 iment Statiott, has made some interesting observations on the 

 variability of timothy. Some mature early and some much 

 later. There was also a difference in the amount of hay pro- 

 duced. The plants of Mr. Hopkins were propagated by seed. 

 Professor Hays§ also shows that much may be done with some 

 of our forage plants, notably timothy. 



There are many forms of grasses, some no doubt much more 

 valuable than others. As an illustration, bluegrass runs into 

 many forms, but no effort is made to plant the best bluegrass. 

 Any kind will do as long as it is bluegrass. So of timothy, 

 which runs into many forms; the best is never planted. All 

 kinds of timothy seed will do. There can be no question that 

 our hay crops and pastures could be largely increased if intel- 

 ligent selection were carried on. For years' experiments 

 have been carried on with various grasses, and though it has 



* Hortua Gramineus Wohumensis. 15. London Ed. 

 +Rep. Conn. Bd. of.Agrl. 1898: 136. 



Publication of Grasses. The Am. Enterprise, July 14, 1900. 

 To Ship Grass Sods. The Hartford Courant, Dec. 9, 1898. 



*Some Observations on Varieties of Timothy {Phleum prateiise, L.) Proc. Soc. Prom. 

 Agrl. Scl.. 1895: 29. PI. 11. 



§Bull. Minn. Agrl. Exp. Sta. 20: 44. 



