PERENNIAL FORAGE GRASSES 7Q. 



:ommercial seed. After plants are somewhat established they 

 spread quite rapidly by means of the underground rootstocks. 

 It often takes possession of the soil when the land is put in 

 pasture. Probably few of the blue grass pastures have been 

 artificially seeded. 



The greatest fault of 

 Kentucky blue grass is 

 its failure to supply 

 good pasture during 

 July and August. Dur- 

 ing hot, dry periods the 

 growth almost if not 

 entirely ceases. Where 



Spring- and fall are Canada blue S rass taken at Cornell Station June 14. 

 Plant grown from single seed is 21 months old. 



short, the amount of Has not yet come into bloom. Longest culms are 

 pasture may be lim- 1 8 inches long; clump 3 feet wide. Compare with 

 ' Kentucky blue grass, 



ited. 



78. Harvesting Seed. Kentucky blue grass seed is mostly 

 secured in Kentucky within a radius of 25 miles from the center 

 of a triangle formed by lines connecting the cities of Lexington, 

 Paris, and Winchester. 1 The seed is obtained by stripping the 

 heads there being both hand and horse machines for this 

 purpose, the latter now being largely used. The rough seed 

 thus obtained is dried in the house or in the field in windows 3 

 or 4 feet deep. During this curing process, which takes eight to 

 ten days, the seed must be kept constantly stirred to prevent 

 over-heating. Stripping begins as soon as panicles turn yellow, 

 which in Kentucky is usually from June 7 to June 15. The 

 rough seed is subsequently purified or cleaned at factories with 

 several different machines specially designed for this purpose. 

 The yield of seed will depend on the thoroughness with which 

 it is purified. Of seed weighing 14 pounds to the bushel the 

 yield will run from 100 to 200 pounds per acre; but if seed is 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Bu. PI. Ind. Bui. No. 19. 



