GRASS AND HAY 25? 



Only eight samples of timothy seed were tested as to germinative 

 energy and, nence, no very general conclusions can be drawn. The 

 average percentage of germination is only sixty-four. Though the 

 standard of vitality in timothy seed of good quality is generally ad- 

 mitted to reach a percentage of not less than eighty-five. 



In one sample of seed examined the following impurities were 

 found: Daucus Carota, Wild Carrot; Setaria glauea, Yellow Fox- 

 tail; Agropyron repens, Couch-grass; Amarantus retroflexus, Rough 

 Pigweed. Tumbleweed; Cnicus arvensis, Canada Thistle; Cuacuta 

 arvensis, Dodder; Cnicus altissimus, Tall Thistle; Cnicus lanceolatus, 

 Bull Thistle; Rumex acetosella, Sheep-sorrel; Setaria viridis, Green 

 Foxtail ; Phleum pratense, Timothy ; Plantago aristata, Bracted 

 Plaintain; Plantago lanceolata, Rib-grass; Cichorium Intybus, Chic- 

 ory; Lepidium apetalum, Peppergrass; Plantago Rugelii, Rugel's 

 Plantain; panicum sanguinale, Crab-grass; Panicum capillare, Old 

 Witch Grass; Rumex crispus, Curled Dock. In this list of weed 

 seeds attention may be briefly called to a few of the most important. 

 The first of these is the Canada thistle occurring in thirty-two 

 samples, quack grass in one sample, dodder in twelve samples. 

 The farmer should refuse to purchase any seed containing 

 the above seeds, no matter how low the price may be. In most cases 

 they are difficult to remove from the seed and are hard to eradicate 

 from a field. When once introduced, the Canada thistle by means 

 of its long underground root stocks is enabled to defy extermination. 

 When quack grass is introduced cultivation seems only to aggravate 

 the difficulty. As for dodder it can be eliminated only by sowing 

 seed entirely free from this weed. (Iowa E. S. B. 88.) 



The hay made from timothy is comparatively coarse and 

 strawy with few leaves, but the character of its growth is such that 

 it may be readily cured. The hay is, therefore, perhaps more certain 

 to be free from dust than that from most grasses. It is therefore 

 looked upon as the standard of excellence, and usually sells for a 

 higher price than any other hay in the market. It requires a deep, 

 retentive loam for its best growth. On such loams, with liberal top- 

 dressing either with manures or fertilizers supplying abundance of 

 nitrogen, it may prove quite persistent; but on the lighter soils and 

 under less generous treatment it is likely to give way to inferior 

 species within a comparatively short time. As previously said, at the 

 surface of the ground on a timothy plant which is mature will be 

 found a considerable number of pointed and rather small solid bulbs. 

 If these be fed off, or if the mowings be too much trampled by heavy 

 animals, which doubtless crushes and bruises the bulbs to a consider- 

 able extent, the timothy will be seriously weakened. It is not, there- 

 fore, well adapted to grazing, and great precaution should be used in 

 pasturing mowings in which it is the principal species. 



Whenever the soil is abundantly supplied with manure or fer- 

 tilizers which supply nitrogen in relatively large amounts, timothy 

 will be found relatively abundant in the mowing, unless the soil be 

 sour. If it be sour, the red-top will predominate, while there will bo 

 little or no clover. If, then, it be desired to produce first-class 



