THE FESCUES 



31g 



other grass will grow. None of the other wheat grasses have 

 this characteristic, and they may be sown without fear that 

 they will become pests. 



410. The Fescues. Meadow fescue, Festuca pratensis, 

 and tall fescue, Festuca pratensis elatior, are grown in cer- 

 tain limited areas as hay grasses. In the timothy region, 

 they cannot compete with that grass, for they do not yield 

 as well and the seed is more expensive. Meadow fescue is 

 grown quite commonly in northeastern Kansas, while both 

 tall and meadow fescue are grown in eastern Washington and 

 northern Idaho. These grasses are often recommended for 

 sowing in meadow and pasture mixtures, but they do not 

 seem to have any definite place in this country. In England 

 and quite generally throughout Europe, they are among the 

 most valuable grasses. 



411. The Rye Grasses. EngUsh lye grass, Lolium 

 perenne, and its near relative, Italian lye grass, Lolium 

 italicum, are among the most popular and important grasses 

 in Europe, but they have never come into favor in the United 

 States. They are grown to some extent on the Pacific 

 Coast, but elsewhere they are Httle known. They do not 

 yield heavily, but the herbage they produce is so palatable and 

 nutritious that they appear to be worthy of more extended 

 trial as meadow grasses where the rainfall is abundant. 



