344 



THE PRINCIPAL CULTIVATED GRASSES 



While timothy is so important in the United States, it has never 

 become an important cultivated grass in Europe, probably because 



their milder winters permit them to 

 grow the rye-grasses which seem to be 

 more popular. 



Advantages of Timothy. The rea- 

 sons why timothy culture is so popular 

 may be briefly summarized as follows: 



1. It produces seed abundantly and 

 at a low cost. This adapts it to use in 

 rotation where the grass must be plowed 

 up occasionally. The seed usually costs 

 not over a dollar an acre and grows 

 very readily. 



2. Timothy makes an excellent 

 grade of hay, and has one great advan- 

 tage over many grasses in that it retains 

 its quality for a period of at least two 

 or three weeks. Orchard-grass, for ex- 

 ample, must be cut as soon as it comes 

 to bloom, or it will quickly become 

 woody and poor in quality. Timothy, 

 however, will make a good grade of hay 

 for at least three weeks after bloom. This 

 is a great advantage to the farmer, as he 

 can not always arrange farm work to 

 take care of hay at some particular time. 



3. Because of its reliable quality, 

 timothy has come to be the standard 

 hay in the city markets. A higher price 

 is paid for timothy than any other hay. 



4. Timothy mixes well with red 

 clover. Most farmers like to grow some 

 red clover when they are using grass 

 in a rotation. 



Seed and Seeding. Very little difficulty is experienced in 

 securing good timothy seed of high vitality. The legal weight of 



FIG. 155. Timothy head. 



