12 



PASTURE PLANTS AND PASTURES OF N.Z. 



Timothy (Phleum pratense). A strong growing grass 

 with a bluish tinge on the leaf. At the base of the leaf sheath 

 under the ground, and just above the roots, is a single or at 

 most two bulb-like swellings. This is very characteristic. 

 The leaf sheath is round and the ligule conspicuous. There 

 are no ears. 



Timothy will last for 

 six years or longer de- 

 pending on the nature 

 of the soil. It thrives 

 best on heavy lands, 

 and will succeed on 

 wet clays where other 

 grasses often fail, or 

 on medium lands with 

 a rainfall of about 30 

 inches. It is quite 

 unsuited for light 

 soils or dry districts. 

 Under suitable con- 

 ditions the abundance 

 of feed it produces is 

 hardly excelled by 

 that of any other 

 grass in cultivation. The fodder is of the greatest 

 palatability especially to cattle and horses. In general 

 it is more a cattle than a sheep grass, just because it 

 thrives best on the heavier soils. It is very economical to 

 sow for several reasons. The seed is small, and there are 

 about 1,100,000 of them to the pound, while in Perennial 

 Rye for instance 240,000 seeds go to the pound. Thus if 

 28 pounds of.Ryegrass is sufficient for an acre, about 6J 

 pounds of Timothy should be sufficient also. But the seed 

 is rounded and solid, and so is very easily covered too deeply 



Fig. 5. Timothy, (after Fream). 



