284 AGRICULTURE ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE 



the ray grass (commonly miscalled rye grass; it does not 

 resemble rye at all), which is also used for lawns, because it 

 needs less water than blue grass. It is also sown for pasture, 

 and makes good hay. The cocksfoot or orchard grass also 

 does well, and however dried-up it may look in summer, it 

 always puts out green leaves as soon as moisture comes. 

 It grows in tussocks or bunches, and will not do for lawns. 



Bermuda grass, known all over the world, is somewhat 

 used for lawns and pastures. It seldom bears seed, but we 

 propagate it by cutting the steins into small pieces and then 

 scattering and covering them like seed. Its root stocks are 

 hard to get out of the land when once set. It looks somewhat 

 like alkali or salt grass, but the bloom is very different and 

 the leaves wider. 



Hungarian brome grass is one of the best grasses for hay 

 id pasture on dry lands. Of the many brome grasses 



mmon in California, only the soft brome grass, much 

 seen on natural pastures, is of much value as cattle food. 

 Most brome grasses are weeds. 



In northwestern California and in western Oregon and 

 Washington the hay grasses used in the Eastern states, such 

 as timothy, foxtail, and redfop, grow very well, and are much 

 used for hay, in additiorTto~cocksfoot and ray grass. Tim- 

 othy and redtop need abundant irrigation when grown in a 

 dry climate, and do not pay as well there as ray grass and 

 cocksfoot grass. 



Weed grasses are mentioned in Chapter 14. 



LEGUME FORAGE CROPS 



Legume forage crops. Among the legume forage 

 crops, alfalfa undoubtedly holds the first place in the 



