CHAPTER XV -:: 



PERENNIAL GRASSES 



TIMOTHY 



370. Origin. Timothy, Phleum pratense, is a native of 

 Europe. Its cultivation in this country dates from about 

 1700. Timothy Hansen first grew this grass in Maryland, 

 where it was known as Timothy's grass, and later as timothy. 

 There has been little change in timothy since it was first 

 cultivated, and only in the last few years have attempts teen 

 made to improve it or to separate it into varieties. Even 

 now, it is not possible to purchase seed of any distinct variety 

 of timothy, though there is great variation among the plants. 

 The same statement may be made with equal truth regard- 

 ing all the other forage grasses and most of the leguminous 

 forage plants. In fact, many of them are little more than 

 plants brought in from the wild, with no effort at improve- 

 ment. There is much to be accomplished in the breeding of 

 forage crops for special purposes, and great increases in yields 

 of hay or pasture may be confidently expected from careful 

 work of this kind. 



371. Description. Timothy is a rather deep-rooting 

 perennial grass, with stems, or culms, ranging from 6 or 8 

 inches to 6 feet high. The usual height is from 23/^ to 4 

 feet. The culms are usually straight, but they may be bent 

 or prostrate at the base. The lower node of the culm is en- 

 larged, forming a sort of bulb, a character peculiar to this 

 plant among the grasses. The culm leaves are much more 

 numerous than the basal leaves, making the plant valuable 

 for hay. The leaves are from 3 to 10 inches long, and from a 

 quarter to a half inch wide. The flowers are borne in a long, 

 close spike, usually cylindrical in form, from one and a half 



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