86 



THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



but they are produced rather sparingly, especially the first few 

 years after being sown. The result is a comparatively light 



yield. At the Illinois 

 Station, on rich black 

 prairie soil orchard 

 grass, 35 pounds of 

 seeds per acre, gave 

 during two years an 

 average yield of 1.4 

 tons of field cured hay ; 

 timothy, 15 pounds of 

 seed per acre, 2.2 tons; 

 orchard grass, 17.5 

 pounds and red clover, 

 6 pounds, 2.2 tons ; tim- 

 othy, 9 pounds and red 

 clover, 6 pounds, 2.6 

 tons of field cured hay 

 per acre. 1 



The average of Amer- 

 ican analyses shows 

 orchard grass to con- 

 tain a larger percent- 

 age of protein and 



Orchard grass taken at Cornell Station June 14. Plant 



grown from a single seed is 21 months old. Was in Othy or any Other COm- 

 full bloom when picture was taken. Highest culms monl cultivated grass> 

 44 inches; clump 33 inches wide. 



The hay has the repu- 

 tation of being less readily eaten by live stock, although 

 it is claimed that this may be remedied by cutting the grass 

 earlier. At the Cornell Station, as pasture it was not as readily 

 eaten by cattle as smooth brome grass, Kentucky blue grass, 



'Illinois Sta. Bui. No. 15 (1891), p. 486. 



