KENTUCKY BLUE-GRASS 



155 



The amount of aftermath depends somewhat upon the stage when 

 the main crop is cut. Maturing the seed takes the life from the 

 roots and is more detrimental to growth 

 the same season and future years. 



Kentucky 'Blue-grass is botanically 

 known as Poa pratensis to distinguish 

 it from Canada blue grass (Poa com- 

 pressa) . The latter is sometimes called 

 wire grass in the North and is a very 

 poor plant for either pasture or hay. 

 Kentucky blue-grass is the best pas- 

 ture grass in the moister parts of the 

 country (Fig. 102). From the moun- 

 tainous regions of the South it extends 

 into Canada. In most of this wide 

 range it requires no seed, but when 

 timber is cleared off it takes possession 

 of the soil, forming a tough sod which 

 yields a nutritious growth for grazing 

 stock. Close cropping by sheep or 

 other stock seems to improve its 

 growth. Running root stalks near the 

 surface of the ground maintain the life 

 of the plants during dry weather and a 

 luxuriant growth again reappears when 

 rains fall. 



The amount of feed per acre is not 

 so great as for many other grasses. 

 Because of the shallow root system, 

 growth quickly stops when dry weather 

 sets in. If the early summer growth 

 is allowed to form stems and produce 

 a crop of seed it is very detrimental to 

 the pasture. The drying effect, as seed 

 is matured, saps the life from the un- 

 derground parts. When pastures are 

 not used by enough stock to prevent 

 the formation of stems and seed it is 

 well to clip the growth with a mower. 

 This will conserve the life of the plants and improve the pasture 

 during the dry summer. 



FIG. 101. Timothy is the most 

 popular hay crop of America. 

 (Productive Farm Crops.) 



