THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



not outrank Kentucky blue grass. It starts in the spring about 

 the same time as the latter. The hay is generally considered 

 to be both palatable and nutritious. Like Kentucky blue grass, 

 it takes three years to form a good sod, and is therefore not 

 adapted to temporary meadows or temporary pastures. The 

 seed being rather high priced and rather low in germination, 

 it is generally advisable to use it only in mixtures for per- 

 manent pastures. It is not recommended as a lawn grass. The 



extreme vigor with which 

 individual plants of taller 

 fescue developed in the trial 

 grounds at Cornell Univer- 

 sity raises the question 

 whether much of the in- 

 ability to get a good stand 

 of this grass is not due to 

 poor seed. 



94. Seed. The flowering 

 glume or outer covering of 

 the seed of meadow fescue 

 is one-fifth to one-fourth 

 inch long, is without dis- 

 tinct keel, and is awnless. 



Seeds of fescue and brome grasses. 1. Sheep ' It closely resembles the 

 fescue (Festuca ovina^', 2. red rescue (F. 

 rubrd}\ 3. tufted hair grass (Deschampsia 



caespitosa^\ 4. upright brome (Bromus 

 erectus)', 5- Schrader's brome (Br. uni- 

 olofdes); 6. chess (Br. secalinus)\ 7. hairy 

 brome (Br. asper)\ 8. awnless brome (Br. 

 inermis)t\\e small figures natural size. 

 (After Hicks) 



flowering glume of peren- 

 nial rye grass, the latter on 

 account of the lower price 

 often being used as an adul- 

 terant of meadow fescue. 

 The seed of meadow fescue 

 is to be distinguished from perennial rye grass chiefly by its 

 rachilla. The rachilla of the former is more slender, round 

 instead of oval, the end having a slight knob. The rachilla also 

 stands away slightly from the palea, while in perennial rye 

 grass it lies close to the palea. ' 



