300 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



Cheat is easily grown and produces good crops of hay. 

 In Georgia, liverymen consider it equal to timothy, es- 

 pecially if it be cut when the seeds are in the dough stage. 

 For hay purposes it probably has no advantage over the 

 ordinary small grains. 



366. Canary-grass (Phalaris canariensis) is, with little 

 doubt, native to the countries about the western end of 

 the Mediterranean, though there is doubt about its 

 nativity on the Canary Islands, whence its name is 

 derived. It was introduced into the Netherlands from 

 Spain about the middle of the sixteenth century, which 

 seems to be the first definite mention of the grass. At the 

 present time it is cultivated mainly in Turkey 

 and adjacent countries for the seed, which is 

 used to some extent as human food, but 

 largely as feed for cage birds. 



Canary-grass is an annual species, growing 

 to a height of 3 to 4| feet, several culms 

 usually stooling from the same root. It is 

 conspicuously characterized by its dense 

 oblong head-like panicle, the white glumes 

 having green nerves. 



Canary-grass has succeeded very well in Cali- 

 fornia planted in fall, and in Saskatchewan 

 sown in spring. It wall probably succeed 

 FIG. 31. wherever barley can be grown, but the de- 

 Canary grass mand for the seed is limited. As a hay crop 

 it has no apparent advantage over wheat, 

 oats or barley. Its mode of culture is iden- 

 tical with that of the small grains. At Indian Head, 

 Saskatchewan, yields of 29 bushels of seed and 3960 pounds 

 of straw per acre have been secured, and in California 

 23,952 pounds of seed were grown on 40 acres in 1905. 



