308 GRASSES AND LEGUMES 



in small plats. Many of them made a good growth and yielded hay 

 equal to timothy, but they all failed in one respect. They yielded 

 little or no seed that could be easily and cheaply harvested. 



The above statement explains why timothy is so popular. It is 

 no better in quality and yield than many other grasses, but produces 

 an abundance of seed at a low cost. 



2. Forage grasses should be palatable. There are many wild 

 grasses that produce seed abundantly but are considered to be 

 " weedy " grasses, as they are not very palatable ; for example, the 

 American wild rye (Elymus canadensis). 



3. Grasses must be productive. After elimination of those wild 

 grasses that do not meet the above two conditions we still have left a 

 considerable number of grasses that produce seed well and are 

 palatable to animals, but are not suited to cultivation because un- 

 productive. Sheep fescue and related species are good examples. 



4. Grasses must be persistent. There are several good grasses 

 that meet the above three conditions, but lack endurance under 

 pasturage or constant mowing. The large " blue stems " and " blue 

 joint " grasses of the prairies serve as examples. These are 

 dominant grasses on virgin prairie in the Missouri River valley, and 

 very valuable, but are the first grasses to disappear under pasturage 

 or mowing for hay. 



A Few Exceptions. We have a few cultivated grasses that would 

 hardly conform to the above rules yet have so much merit that they 

 are considered valuable grasses. 



Bermuda grass is a poor seed producer and is often propagated by 

 spreading the roots. Yet it is so persistent when once established 

 that only a small amount of seed is needed. Also Bermuda succeeds 

 where most grasses fail (in the cotton belt) and therefore has little 

 competition. 



Kentucky blue-grass is also a rather shy seed producer, and does 

 not produce a large crop of forage as compared with many grasses. 

 However, it is so persistent when once established, spreading by 

 underground stems, that a small amount of seed will suffice. From 

 60 to 100 pounds of blue-grass seed are required to sow an acre with 

 a full stand, but if a few pounds be sown with other grasses it will 

 eventually occupy the land. Its ability to withstand hard pasturing 



