ORCHARD GRASS 



171 



Uses. Orchard grass is grown for hay, seed, and pas- 

 ture. As a hay crop it is inferior to timothy and redtop, 

 but ranks well as a pasture grass for early spring and late 

 fall. It does not spread by rootstocks nor does it branch 

 or stool out strongly. It grows in 

 bunches or tufts and does not cover the 

 ground completely like redtop, timothy, 

 or blue grass, hence the lower yields of 

 hay per acre and the necessity of re- 

 seeding more often. 



Sowing the Seed. The weight of 

 orchard grass seed varies from fourteen 

 to twenty-two pounds per measured 

 bushel, depending on how closely it is 

 graded. From a bushel to one and a 

 half bushels of seed per acre should be 

 used when sown alone or about one 

 fourth bushel when sown as a mixture. 

 When desired for seed it is left to ripen, 

 and is cut and bound, like timothy, 

 with a harvester. After it has been 

 well cured in the shock or mow, it is 



Fig. 95. Orchard grass. 



threshed with a grain thresher, especially 

 arranged with proper screens for threshing grass seed. 

 Kentucky is the leading state in the production of orchard 

 grass seed. 



REDTOP 



Redtop, a perennial grass, is a native of the United 

 States and grows wild over an extensive area. As a hay 

 crop it ranks closely with timothy and blue grass. It gives 

 good yields on undrained lands that are too low and wet 



