80 A MANUAL OF FARM GRASSES 



world. There are 25 species in the United States espe- 

 cially in our western mountains. Most of the species are 

 good forage grasses and constitute a considerable portion 

 of the native forage of mountain meadows. The name 

 Agrostis is derived from a Greek word meaning field 

 and was used by the Greeks for a kind of grass. Lin- 

 naeus applied the name to the genus above mentioned. 

 The specific name palustris means swampy, referring to 

 the fact that it grows in moist soil. Another name that 

 has been commonly applied to redtop is Agrostis alba. 



ORCHARD GRASS 



Compared with timothy, orchard grass is unimportant, 

 but among the grasses of minor importance it stands in 

 the front rank. It is used for both hay and pasture in 

 the humid region, especially from Virginia and Kentucky 

 to northern Alabama. Orchard grass has many good 

 qualities, among which are yield, palatability, early 

 starting of growth in the spring, and ability to remain 

 green during hot summers and well into the fall. Its 

 chief drawback is the habit of growing in tussocks which 

 interferes with its use as a meadow grass. The high cost 

 of the seed also militates against its use, though the cost 

 would decrease if the demand called for a greater supply, 

 because good seed is easily produced. Timothy has such 

 a dominating position in the hay markets of the country 

 that orchard grass and other good grasses cannot com- 

 pete with it, a condition which discourages its production 

 for hay to be sold. The quality of orchard grass suffers 

 more than does that of timothy by remaining after 

 flowering before being cut. For this reason, orchard 



