1 68 THE HAY GRASSES 



retarded that it can be secured at the proper cutting stage 

 with the other grasses. It grows so close to the ground 

 that it forms a thick mat after two or three years and 

 gradually crowds out the other grasses. Blue grass grows 

 so extensively in uncultivated fields and pastures and so 

 fills the land with seed that when the fields are sown to 

 clover and other grasses it often comes on voluntarily and 

 is soon quite noticeable. 



Harvesting the Seed. --The larger portion of the Ken- 

 tucky blue grass seed is grown in Kentucky. It is harvested 

 as soon as the heads and stems turn yellow. The seed 

 is stripped from the plants by special machinery for that 

 purpose. These strippings are put in windrows and left 

 to cure. The windrows should be stirred frequently while 

 curing. If the heads become heated, the germinating 

 power of the seed is injured. After the heads are thor- 

 oughly cured they are run through special machinery which 

 takes out the seed and cleans it for market. The germina- 

 tion of Kentucky blue grass seed is low even when good 

 care is taken in harvesting and curing it. A test of 60 per 

 cent to 65 per cent is considered exceptionally good. The 

 yield of well-cleaned seed weighing 24 pounds per bushel 

 is approximately 100 pounds per acre. When left in the 

 chaff the yield runs somewhat higher. 



Uses. Blue grass is a great pasture and lawn grass 

 and is grown for that purpose more than for hay. It will 

 grow in the shade better than any of our grazing grasses 

 and is consequently used much in open wood lot pastures. 

 When used in combination with other grass seeds for pas- 

 ture or hay about ten or twelve pounds of seed is sown per 

 acre. When used alone for lawn or golf grounds it is sown 

 frequently at the rate of forty to fifty pounds of seed JKT 



