The Grasses 279 



permanent in its character there as on moist low lands. 

 This grass has a number of common names in various 

 parts of the country. In Pennsylvania it is generally 

 known as herds grass, while in some other sections that 

 name is appHed to timothy. It is also known as fine top 

 and bent grass. Dairymen in many sections consider it 

 indispensable in giving a fine flavor to the butter. Being 

 a late grass, it associates well with timothy, and as both 

 thrive on moist low land, it is a good practice to sow some 

 red top with timothy to give that grass a more leafy 

 bottom. 



Red top makes fine hay, but not a heavy crop. It is 

 the easiest hay to cure of all the grasses. In very hot and 

 dry weather, we have mown red top in the morning, 

 tedded it thoroughly, and put it in the stack the same 

 evening. This is an advantage in showery weather. It 

 makes a far heavier crop on bottom lands in the South 

 than it does in the Middle and Northern States, and 

 should have more attention from the Southern farmers. 

 This is the finest of all grasses for the 

 Bermuda South. Botanically it is Cynodon dactylon, 



and is found in warm cHmates all over the 

 world. Owing to the difiiculty of eradicating it when it 

 gets into cultivated grounds it has long been regarded as 

 a pest by the cotton growers. But since it seeds very 

 sparingly, it is easy to keep it in bounds and to use it on a 

 cotton farm as a permanent pasture. It is entirely a hot 

 weather grass, and browns with the first frosts, but when 

 used as a pasture it can be mixed with the Texas blue 

 grass (Poa arachnijera), which is a winter growing grass 

 and has the same running habit as the Bermuda. With 



