TIMOTHY 125 



the irrigated valleys of the northwest and in the mountain 

 states. The total value of the timothy crop, either alone 

 or in mixtures, was, according to the last United States 

 Census, about $300,000,000, which was -J- of the value of 

 the corn crop, -f of the value of the wheat crop and f of 

 the value of the cotton crop for the same year. 



The total acreage devoted to timothy was as much as 

 that of all other cultivated hay plants combined, includ- 

 ing clover and alfalfa. All of the other perennial hay 

 grasses combined occupied but one-fourth the acreage of 

 timothy. 



In Europe timothy has never been of the highest im- 

 portance among grasses, but its use there in recent years 

 seems to be steadily increasing. In other countries it is 

 but little grown. 



108. Climatic adaptations. Timothy is a northern 

 grass, and does not succeed well in the United States 

 south of latitude 36 excepting at higher elevations. It 

 thrives fairly well on the Alaskan coast, but in the interior 

 suffers both from winter cold and summer drought. No 

 definite data regarding the minimum cold that timothy 

 will withstand have been recorded, but it is more cold 

 resistant than most cultivated grasses. At Copper Center, 

 Alaska, a considerable proportion of the timothy plants 

 survived a winter when redtop, tall oat-grass, orchard- 

 grass and velvet-grass were completely destroyed. It has 

 also matured seeds at this place. 



It does not well withstand hot, humid summers, and 

 successful fields are rarely found in the area adapted to 

 cotton. Crab-grass and other summer weeds are also 

 destructive competitors. When planted in the cotton 

 belt usually but one cutting of timothy can be obtained, 

 and the plants then disappear. Even this degree of success 



