Grains and Forage Crops 135 



The plant Sacaline (Polygonum saghalience) was introduced to 

 California as a dry-land forage plant about 1893, and has never 

 demonstrated any particular forage value. It is a browsing shrub, 

 making woody stem, and cattle will eat it readily when not pro- 

 vided with better food. It has possible value on waste land, but 

 probably is in no sense superior to the native shrubs of California 

 which serve that purpose. It is a handsome ornamental plant for 

 gardens or parks. 



Mossy Lawns. 



What zi'ill destroy pafclics of moss which ore sfyreadiiig over our 

 lawns and apparently destroying the grass'i' 



More sunlight would have a tendency to discourage the growth 

 of moss on a lawn. If this is riot feasible, irrigation less frequently 

 but a more thorough soaking each time will give the surface a better 

 chance to dry off, and moss will not grow on a dry surface. The 

 frequent spraying of a lawn with just enough water to keep the 

 surface moist and not enough water to penetrate deeply will tend to 

 the growing of moss and to less vigor in the growth of the grass. 

 A good soaking of the soil once a week is better than daily sprink- 

 ling, but, of course, very much more water must be used when you 

 only sprinkle at long intervals. The drying of the surface may be 

 assisted by sprinkling with air-slaked lime and this will discourage 

 the growth of moss, but of course lime must not be used in excess 

 or it will also injure the grass. 



Scattering Grass Seeds. 



We live on the west side of Sonoma valley, and zvant to seed some 

 of our fields with a good wild grass. We zvant to carry bags of it in 

 our pockets to scatter when we ride. Timothy zve should like, but this 

 is not its habitat, is it? Can you suggest a grass or grasses that would 

 do well here? 



There are really wild grasses worthy of multiplication, but no 

 one makes a business of collecting the seed for sale, so that such 

 seeds are not available for such purpose as you describe. Of the 

 introduced grasses, those which are most likely to catch from early 

 scattered seed are Australian and Italian rye grasses, orchard grass, 

 wild oat grass and red top. You can get seed of all these from 

 dealers in any quantity which you desire at from 15 to 30 cents a 

 pound, according to the variety, and make a mixture of equal parts 

 of each grass, which you can carry and scatter as you propose. 

 Some of them will catch somewhere, particularly in spots where the 

 shade modifies the summer heat and where seepage moisture re- 

 duces soil drought. You are right about timothy; it is good farther 

 up the coast and in the mountain valleys, but not in 3'our district. 



Poultry Forage. 



/ have light sandy loam on zdiich I desire to grow forage for chickens. 

 It lies too high for irrigation. 



