ITALIAN RYE GRASS. 295 



It is quite palatable, even more so, it is thought, than 

 perennial rve grass. It is valuable both as pasture and 

 hay, but is not adapted to either permanent pastures or 

 meadows. Its highest use is in furnishing soiling food 

 for dairy cows and other stock. Under some condi- 

 tions a sufficient area of this grass would furnish soil 

 ing food during all the season of growth. In this re- 

 spect it is probably only rivalled by alfalfa. In nutri- 

 tion, Italian rye grass does not stand so high as some 

 other grasses. 



Distribution. Italian rye grass is native to Europe. 

 In Lombardy it is thought its cultivation first began 

 many years ago, and more especially in the irrigated 

 - districts of that country. It has been cultivated in 

 France for at least a hundred years, and in England 

 and Scotland for more than half a century. For sev- 

 eral decades it has been tried in some parts of the Unit- 

 ed States. Notwithstanding, its cultivation has not be- 

 come very general in any section of the country. 



It has been claimed that it is equally well suited to 

 all the climates of Europe. This claim is somewhat 

 extravagant, as it will not endure extreme cold. It 

 succeeds best in moist equable temperatures, hence the 

 best results should be obtained from growing it, the 

 soil conditions being correct, in the Central North At- 

 lantic states and in those of the Pacific coast north- 

 ward. 



In the United States good crops of Italian rye grass 

 may be grown on suitable soils in nearly every state in 

 the Union, but in the southwestern states and in the 

 Rocky Mountain states far northward, it would be nee- 



