214 



FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



and 1560 ; Idaho, 4000 ; Ontario (Guelph), 2500, 7-year 



average. 



247. Seed-production. The seed habits of the grass 



are excellent and under very favorable conditions two 



crops may be harvested in the same season. More usually 



the first is cut for 

 hay and the second 

 for seed. The grass 

 should be cut before 

 the seed is fully ripe ; 

 otherwise, there is 

 some loss by shatter- 

 ing. Practically no 

 seed is grown in 

 America, the com- 

 mercial supplies com- 

 ing from Europe and 

 New Zealand. 



248. Seed. Seed 

 of perennial rye-grass 

 is grown mainly in 

 Scotland and Ire- 

 land. None is grown 

 in America. On ac- 

 count of shattering, 

 the crop is cut before 

 the seeds are fully 

 ripe. Care is neces- 

 sary in curing, as, 

 if the hay becomes 



heated in drying, the germination of the seed is injured. 



The yield per acre varies from 250 to 500 pounds per 



acre and maximums of 1050 pounds are reported. 



FIG. 22. Italian rye-grass (Lolium mul- 

 tiflorum) . a, spikelet ; b, c, lemma ; d, e, 

 seed. 



