THE THREE LEADING FORAGE GRASSES 55 



TIMOTHY AS A MEADOW GRASS 



Timothy is a short-lived perennial and is not well 

 adapted to permanent meadow. The hay crop decreases 

 markedly after the first two or three years. For best 

 results, therefore, a meadow should be kept in timothy 

 for only two or three years and then plowed up and used 

 for some other purpose. Usually the plan is to mow for 

 hay the first two years and continue for pasture the third 

 year. It is a common practice over much of the humid 

 region to grow timothy with clover. Hay grown for the 

 market is usually made from timothy grown alone, as 

 pure timothy hay is demanded in most markets and 

 brings a higher price than mixed hay, and for horses is 

 more suitable. For consumption on the farm timothy 

 and clover is desirable as it is more nutritious, though 

 not so well adapted to horses. 



Timothy may be sown in fall or spring according to 

 circumstances. When the conditions are favorable, 

 timothy alone or -timothy and clover mixed should be 

 sown in the fall, that is in late August or early September. 

 The plants should be well started by the end of the 

 growing season and produce a full crop the following 

 year. In this way the crop is produced with the least 

 loss of time. If the seed is sown in the spring, a crop will 

 be produced the first year but not a full crop. Further- 

 more, weeds interfere' with a spring-sown crop much 

 more than with a fall-sown one. Therefore, there is a 

 greater return from the land if a summer crop is grown 

 which can be removed in time for the fall sowing of 

 timothy. It is a common practice in much of the timo- 



