48 MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



Why is orchard grass so little used ? Mainly because 

 the seed costs more than timothy and it takes more of it. 

 Timothy seed at present (June 15, 1910) is worth $6 per 

 loo pounds; orchard grass, $16, Further, it is customary 

 to sow three times as much orchard grass seed as timothy 

 seed to the acre. To offset this fact, it must be remem- 

 bered that orchard grass lasts much longer than timothy ; 

 in truth, on suitable soil, it lasts indefinitely, and even 

 spreads to adjacent fields, encroaching on bluegrass. I 

 have watched the behavior of this grass in many states 

 and am assured that it has much more value than is com- 

 monly ascribed to it. Animals much prefer to eat blue- 

 grass or brome grass and so it is not wise to mix orchard 

 grass with these grasses. When orchard grass is used 

 as pasture it should be fenced to itself, not left adjacent 

 to another pasture of bluegrass, since animals will neg- 

 lect the orchard grass for the better-liked forage. It is 

 thought that cattle will put on more fat grazing bluegrass 

 than orchard grass. While this may be true, yet as or- 

 chard grass yields about twice as much per acre it might 

 easily make the most pounds of beef. Henry Fairfax 

 of Loudoun Co., Va., likes orchard grass and makes 

 horse pastures of it. His horses are as good as are pro- 

 duced anywhere. On the other hand, his neighbor, E. 

 B. White, destroys orchard grass and replaces it with 

 bluegrass. Both men are very successful, which is a curi- 

 ous illustration of the difficulty of reaching truth from 

 observing the farm practices of others. 



On Woodland Farm we have one pasture of orchard 

 grass that carries annually a great burden of live stock. 

 Orchard grass is a rank feeder, and this pasture is occa- 



