142 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



as soon as the fall rains come growth begins again and 

 is strong and free in proportion as moisture and plant 

 food are present in the soil. The growth of orchard 

 grass is more prolonged and continuous than that of blue 

 grass, and it provides more pasture, but the pasture is 

 not equal to blue grass in palatability or in nutritive 

 qualities. 



Where the spring grazing is not reasonably close, the 

 seed stems formed will not be eaten readily by live stock. 

 If left standing they will of course produce seed, which 

 tends to lessen production in the pasture. This may be 

 avoided as in the case of timothy by running the field 

 mower over the field, the cutter bar being raised high. 

 Weeds that may be growing in the pasture will thus also 

 fall before the mower. 



From Central Indiana southward, orchard grass is 

 frequently grazed during much of the winter. This 

 may be done in a judicious manner without injury to 

 the grass when once it has become well established. It 

 may even be pastured with some freedom by horses and 

 sheep, when covered to a considerable depth with snow. 

 But care must be taken not to pasture it when the ground 

 is so soft that the feet of the animals which feed upon 

 it will sink into the same, and the more the clay incre- 

 ment in the soil, the greater will be the injury that will 

 follow such pasturing. ^Torth of the latitude named 

 this grass is also sometimes pastured in winter, but 

 where the cold is severe, much grazing injures the plants 

 more or less by removing needed protection. The pala- 

 table and nutritive qualities of the grass are also in- 

 jured by temperatures low beyond a certain degree. 



