174 ORCHARD GRASS. QUALITIES. 



be valuable for hay. It flourishes best in a rich, moist, 

 and rather strong soil, sending up a luxuriant aftermath 

 when cut or grazed off, which is much more valuable, 

 both in quantity and nutritive value, than the first crop. 

 In all lands designed for permanent pasture, therefore, 

 it should form a considerable part of a mixture. It will 

 endure almost any amount of forcing, by liquid manures, 

 or irrigation. It requires three or four years, after 

 sowing, to gain a firm footing in the soil. The seed is 

 covered with the soft and woolly husks of the flower, 

 and is consequently light ; weighing but five pounds to 

 the bushel, and containing seventy-six thousand seeds to 

 the ounce. 



The ORCHARD GRASS, or ROUGH COCKSFOOT (Fig. 59), for 

 pastures, stands preeminent. This is a native of this coun- 

 try, and was introduced into England, from Virginia, in 

 1764, since which time its cultivation has extended into 

 every country of Europe, where it is universally held 

 in very high estimation. The fact of its being very palata- 

 ble to stock of all kinds, its rapidity of growth, and the 

 luxuriance of its aftermath, with its power of enduring 

 the cropping of cattle, have given it a very high reputa- 

 tion, especially as a pasture grass. It blossoms earlier 

 than Timothy; when green is equally relished by milch 

 cows ; requires to be fed closer, to prevent its forming 

 tufts and growing up to seed, when it becomes hard and 

 wiry, and loses much of its nutritive quality. As it 

 blossoms about the same time, it forms an admirable 

 mixture with red clover, either for permanent pasture 

 or mowing. It resists drought, and is less exhausting 

 to the soil than either rye grass or Timothy. The 

 seed weighs twelve pounds to the bushel, and when 

 sown alone requires about two bushels to the acre. 



The ROUGH-STALKED MEADOW GRASS (Fig. 60) is some- 

 what less common than June grass, but is considered as 



