ORCHARD-GRASS, OAT-GRASS, BROME-GRASSES 195 



but a larger percentage has not been found disadvantageous 

 in America. 



The best grasses and clovers for mixing with tall oat- 

 grass are orchard-grass, meadow fescue, alsike and red 

 clover. In the region south of the best area for timothy 

 and red clover the so-called Arlington mixture has been 

 found especially good, the amount indicated to be sown 

 on one acre : 



Orchard-grass ... 10 pounds 



Tall oat-grass 20 pounds 



Alsike clover 4 pounds 



BROME-GRASS 



209. Names and description. Brome-grass (Bromus 

 inermis) is also called smooth brome awnless brome, 

 Hungarian brome, Russian brome and Austrian brome. 



It is a long-lived perennial grass, enduring according 

 to Werner 12 to 13 years. Each plant produces many 

 underground rootstocks and thus mats a foot or more in 

 diameter are formed. Single plants under favorable 

 conditions grow to a height of about 4 feet, and each one 

 may possess 100 to 200 culms. The basal leaves are 

 numerous, and the lower half of each culm may bear 5 or 

 6 leaves. 



After two or three years it forms a dense sod and there- 

 after without special treatment the plants form but few 

 culms. This characteristic makes it better suited for 

 permanent pastures than for hay production. 



210. Botany. Bromus inermis is native to much of 

 Europe and extends through Siberia to China. Botani- 

 cally it is not very variable, though five or six varieties 

 have been deemed worthy of botanical designations. 

 Among these varieties are pellitus with lower leaves and 



