66 A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



sideration are dandelion, wild onion and plantain. If 

 weeds become numerous, it is best to plow up the lawn 

 and begin over. The deficiencies in the soil can then be 

 remedied and the weeds prevented from getting a start. 



Bluegrass Seed 



Commercial bluegrass seed comes mostly from a rather 

 limited area in Kentucky. The chief producing counties 

 are Bourbon, Fayette and Clark. These counties are in 

 the famous bluegrass region south of Cincinnati. Smaller 

 quantities are harvested in other parts of the state espe- 

 cially in the counties to the west of those mentioned. 

 Another but less important area is found in northern 

 Missouri and southern Iowa. 



The seed is harvested by stripping the heads, a good 

 yield being 20 to 25 bushels per acre. Fields of blue- 

 grass can be grazed by cattle up to about two weeks of 

 harvest with little detriment to the seed crop, but 

 horses reduce the production as they eat the heads. 



The seed in the regions mentioned is harvested mostly 

 in early June. On the larger farms, horse-drawn 

 strippers are used which pull the spikelets from the 

 stalks. On small fields hand strippers are used. The 

 seed, which contains much chaff and pieces of leaves and 

 stems, is piled in ricks either in the open or in sheds. 

 The ricks are turned and stirred at frequent intervals 

 till dry. Much care must be exercised to prevent the 

 seed from heating, as this destroys its vitality if the 

 process is allowed to go far. The cured seed is then sent 

 to the cleaner. The cleaning machines remove the wool 

 from the florets and separate the seed from the chaff. 



