208 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



the weight of grain. This is early in July in Kansas. The 

 grass is commonly cut with a binder and cured in small 

 shocks. Thrashing is done with an ordinary grain 

 thrasher, but preferably using a special screen. 



Where a seed crop is the object, it is probably best not 

 to pasture in spring. The opinions, as well as the practices, 

 of seed growers, however, differ on this point. A moderate 

 amount of fall pasturing is probably not injurious to the 

 next seed crop. 



The average yield of seed is 8 to 12 bushels, and maxi- 

 mum yields about 25 bushels to the acre. First-class seed 

 weighs 25 pounds to the bushel. 



The commonest weeds that occur with meadow fescue 

 in Kansas are flea bane (Erigeron ramosus), cheat 

 (Bromus secalinus) and Japanese cheat (Bromus japoni- 

 cus). The last two are particularly objectionable because 

 of the difficulty of separating their seeds from the fescue 

 seeds. 



Some seed is grown in Europe. Werner states that the 

 yields in Germany range from 350 to 700 pounds to the 

 acre. 



232. Seed. Meadow fescue seed often contains a 

 small percentage of cheat as an impurity, usually less 

 than 5 per cent, but sometimes much more. Perennial 

 rye-grass has in some cases been used as an adulterant, 

 but this may be distinguished by the joints of the rachilla 

 being flattened, slightly wedge shaped and not expanded 

 at the apex. 



The best commercial seed attains a purity of 99 per 

 cent and a viability of 95-98 per cent. It loses about 

 5 per cent viability the first year, but thereafter falls off 

 more rapidly, three-year-old seed being nearly value- 

 less. 



