38 Station Bulletin 372 



The work, so far, has been conducted on privately owned farms. Orig- 

 inal seedings were made on relatively small plots, usually less than an acre. 

 It was found difficult to fence and pasture at the time when individual grasses 

 should be grazed. Later seedings have been made with each grass on a field 

 scale with plots large enough to fence economically. Obviously, this in- 

 creases differences due to soil variations. 



Six outlying pastures were harvested in 1946 and yields were determined 

 for the six grasses under study, all of which had been seeded individually 

 with ladino clover in 1942 or 1943. Variations in yields among the six 

 grasses were small, there being but .36 ton difference between smooth brome 

 (the highest) and reed canary, (the lowest) . The fact that ladino was seeded 

 with each one tends, no doubt, to iron out yield variations. 



Reed canary and tall fescue appear to offer the most competition to la- 

 dino. Tall fescue makes the most growth in late fall, while the growth of 

 orchard grass is disappointing at this period. Perennial rye is more ephem- 

 eral than the other grasses; its place is taken more quickly by bluegrass and 

 bent grasses than the others. The suggested rank, with respect to palatability, 

 in descending order is as follows: smooth brome, timothy, perennial rye, or- 

 chard grass, tall fescue and reed canary. As a result of these trials, farmers 

 on whose farms the tests are located are making an increasing number of 

 brome grass seedings. Comparative tests with complex mixtures containing 

 ladino, Kentucky bluegrass, and red top have not yielded as well as the sim- 

 I>le mixtures noted above. 



F. S. Prince, P. T. Blood, G. P. Percival 



The Use of Herbicides in New Hampshire 

 With Particular Reference to Pastures 



During the year 1946-47, the treatments made during 1945-46 were con- 

 tinued in general. However, successful treatment of Bindweed with 2,4-D 

 during the preceding year was so satisfactory that no further research was 

 needed; further research on the Buttercup confirmed the previous year's con- 

 clusion that Ammonium sulfamate, at three ounces per gallon of water, is the 

 most effective herbicide and, for best results, should be applied at the time 

 when the plant has just finished flowering. Treatments of poison ivy, in 

 early July and again in late July, with Ammate at %-pound gallon in deep 

 shade gave perfect control. Plots laid out at the same time and treated with 

 the ammonium salt of 2,4-D under comparable conditions gave very nearly 

 perfect control. Therefore, for early and mid-summer treatments, it seems 

 advisable to recommend the 2,4-D herbicides as well as Ammate and Borax 

 for poison-ivy control. One necessary condition for both Ammonium sulfa- 

 mate and 2,4-D control of poison ivy would seem to be thorough coverage. 

 Late spring treatments of poison ivy, using Borax, Ammonium sulfamate, 

 and 2,4-D in two forms (ammonium salt and methyl ester) have been made 

 in 1947. Thus far, the results would seem to be satisfactory for early to 

 raid-June applications of either 2,4-D or Ammate. 



Experiments on the control of winter cress or yellow rocket indicate that 

 applications of 2,4-D herbicides are most effective when made at about the 

 time of full flowering but before seed-pods are set. Ammonium sulfamate 

 at three ounces per gallon of water also proved very effective. 2,4-D has 



