FOOD FROM PASTURES 305 



seasons are required to bring this grass to a maximum of 

 growth; hence it is illy adapted for temporary pastures. 

 Owing to the close, firm nature of the sod which it makes, 

 it will better resist injury from severe treading than any 

 other valuable grass. 



Russian brome grass, most highly valuable on prairie 

 soils, is coming to be much prized as a pasture grass. Its 

 season of active growth is longer probably than that of any 

 other grass grown in northern areas. It grows up early in 

 the spring and continues to grow until the coming of severe 

 frosts. The leaf growth is very vigorous and is relatively 

 abundant and no grass is more highly relished by stock. It 

 will stand close cropping better than most grasses and 

 when once established is not easily injured by treading. 

 Its carrying power under favorable conditions is probably 

 greater than that of any other grass. Its growth on aver- 

 age soils is greatly stimulated by top dressings of barnyard 

 manure. 



Timothy, king among the hay grasses, is more 

 widely grown on this continent than any other grass, but 

 is not so suitable for pasture as the grasses named above, 

 as it does not produce so much growth relatively in the 

 autumn. In palatability it is average. Nevertheless, it 

 has higher adaptation for producing temporary pasture 

 than either Kentucky blue or Russian brome grass as it 

 can be fully established in a single season though sown 

 with a nurse crop. Since maximum growth with timothy 

 is reached in a relatively short period, as temporary pas- 

 ture it is usually grown with clover. 



The aim should be to graze timothy so that it will 

 not throw up any considerable proportion of seed stems. 

 Should it do so, cutting them off before the seed matures 

 with the mower set high will add to the carrying power 

 of the pasture. 



Western rye grass, frequently called slender wheat 

 grass, is probably the most hardy among the useful grasses. 

 It is grown over wide areas and is preeminently the grass 



