THE SMALLER GRASSES STRAW HAY-MAKING 213 



319. Minor northern grasses. Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa) will 

 yield fair pasturage or small crops of hay on poor or thin soil where 

 Kentucky bluegrass fails. It withstands close grazing and is considered 

 excellent for fattening cattle. This grass is important in Ontario and 

 New York and is also abundant in Pennsylvania, the Virginias, and 

 Maryland. 



Fowl meadow grass (Poa flava), a close relative of Kentucky blue- 

 grass, thrives in the northeastern states on wet land subject to overflow 

 where even red top and alsike clover are killed out. Hills of the Ver- 

 mont Station 17 reports yields on such wet meadows of 1.2 to 2.5 tons per 

 acre of hay which is as well relished as upland hay. 



Meadow fescue (Festuca elatior), a tufted, long-lived perennial grass, 

 is adapted to practically the same area as timothy, which excels it for 

 hay. Tho it thrives best on rich moist land, the largest acreage is grown 

 in eastern Kansas. 18 It is best as a pasture grass, starting growth early 

 in the season and continuing till late in the fall. As the seed is high- 

 priced, it is usually sown in mixture with other grasses for permanent 

 pastures. 



Italian rye grass (Lolium multiflorum) and English rye grass (Lolium 

 perenne) are short-lived, rapid growing perennials. Tho of great im- 

 portance in Europe they are little grown in this country, except in the 

 humid region of western Washington and Oregon, where they are among 

 the best pasture grasses. 



Slender wheat grass (Agropyron tenerum), known in Canada as west- 

 ern rye grass, the only native North American grass which has proved 

 valuable under cultivation, is giving satisfaction in the northern plains 

 district. 19 



320. Bermuda grass, Cynodon dactylon. This low growing, creeping 

 grass is to the cotton belt what Kentucky bluegrass and timothy combined 

 are to the northeastern United States. Bermuda grass forms a dense, 

 soil binding sod, which covers the southern fields with a carpet of green 

 from April to October as pleasing to the eye of the stockman as it is to 

 the animals grazing thereon. It serves best when closely grazed, as 

 otherwise it becomes tough and wiry. Because of its aggressiveness, it 

 drives most other grasses out in summer, but lespedeza or white clover 

 will flourish in spots aniong this grass and improve the pasture. For 

 winter pasture, when Bermuda is dormant, Bermuda sod may be seeded 

 to bur clover, hairy vetch, or Italian rye grass. (354, 359, 319) Piper 20 

 states that good Bermuda pasture will carry 1 cow to the acre and the 

 best mixed Bermuda and lespedeza pasture will graze 2 animals per acre 

 during the summer. The Louisiana Station 21 grazed 30 head of cattle 

 of all ages on 17 acres of Bermuda grass pasture, mixed with other 

 grasses and some lespedeza, with no other feed from March to November. 

 Killebrew 22 states that on the best alluvial soils 1 acre of Bermuda 

 pasture will graze 10 sheep for 8 months. Bermuda pastures are best 



n Vt. Bui. 137. > "Piper, Forage Plants, p. 219. "La. Bui. 72. 



Ten Eyck, Kan. Bui. 175. Forage Plants, p. 243. "La. Bui. 72. 



