(22) 



The time for harvesting is when it is in full flower, or as 

 soon thereafter as possible, when all the elements that are 

 necessary to form the seeds are still in the stalk and leaves. 

 Left to ripen fully, it becomes woody and innutritious. 



Many pursue the plan of sowing the timothy and Herd's 

 grass together, as they ripen together, and the Herd's grass 

 being much lower than the former fills in well, and the two 

 will make a more abundant yield than either separate. But 

 one requires pasturage and that will destroy the other. 



It should be sown in September, unless sown on wheat, 

 and then as early as practicable, to enable the roots to get 

 sufficient depth to resist the cold of winter. If sown alone 

 it will, like timothy, make about a half crop the ensuing 

 year, but it is usually sown with grain, wheat, rye or barley. 

 There are a great many marshy spots in Tennessee, es- 

 pecially on the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, so full of 

 water that nothing can be cultivated on them, and on these 

 fine crops of Herd's grass could be secured every year, 

 which would certainly be far preferable to allowing them to 

 run to waste. These bottoms are usually of surprising fer- 

 tility, and would go far to supply the great deficiency of 

 hay, and obviate the necessity of importing from our more 

 thrifty Northern neighbors. It is a perennial, and if prop- 

 erly tramped every autumn will keep good an indefinite 

 length of time. 



This grass also finds a most congenial soil throughout 

 West Tennessee, in many places in that division of the 

 State attaining the height of five feet. It is probably better 

 adapted to all the soils of the State than any other grass. 

 I have seen it growing in princely luxuriance 6000 feet 

 above the sea on the bald places of the Unaka Mountains. 

 It flourishes upon the slopes and in the valleys of East Ten- 

 nessee. It yields abundantly upon the sandstone soils of 

 the Cumberland Table-land, and beautifies the rolling sur- 

 faces of the Highland Rim. In the Central Basin it spar- 

 kles in the beauty of its verdure, and is second only to red 



