166 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



It is more drought resistant than Kentucky blue-grass 

 but less well adapted to growing in moist or wet soils. 

 It is primarily a grass of the open and does not succeed 

 well in shade. 



157. Importance. Canada blue-grass is important 

 from its ability to grow on poor soils and produce small 

 crops of hay or good pasturage under conditions where 

 other grasses will scarcely thrive. Under such conditions 

 it is valuable and its good points are being more generally 

 recognized. It has suffered in reputation somewhat, 

 because its seed was used to adulterate Kentucky blue- 

 grass and because it has generally been compared to that 

 grass. Its main usefulness, however, is under conditions 

 which Kentucky blue-grass will not endure. 



It is primarily a pasture grass and is grazed upon by 

 all herbivorous animals. It not only will withstand very 

 close grazing but, on account of the stems remaining green, 

 can be used as reserve pasturage late in the season. Cattle 

 raisers who are familiar with Canada blue-grass consider 

 it excellent for fattening. 



At the present time Canada blue-grass is most important 

 in Ontario and New York, but it is abundant in Penn- 

 sylvania, Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia, and is 

 spreading on the so-called scab lands of the Columbia 

 River Basin. In other countries, Canada blue-grass is 

 of very little importance. 



158. Texas blue-grass (Poa arachnifera) . Texas 

 blue-grass is a native perennial species in southern Texas 

 and adjacent Oklahoma. In a general way its habits are 

 similar to Kentucky blue-grass, but the plants are larger 

 and coarser. Unlike any other cultivated species of Poa, 

 the plants are unisexual, that is, some are pistillate and 

 some are staminate. The base of each lemma has a tuft 



