REDTOP FOR PASTURE AND MEADOW 349 



Climatic Adaptations. Redtop naturally grows best in a rather 

 moist soil and cool climate, without excessive summer heat. How- 

 ever, it differs from timothy in having a much wider adaptation. It 

 will stand higher summer temperature, much wetter soil, as well 

 as drier soil. Redtop is not considered so good a hay grass as 

 timothy, and therefore can not compete with timothy where the latter 

 succeeds. However, in all the northeastern United States, wherever 

 timothy fails, redtop is likely to be substituted. This is especially 

 true throughout all the hill lands in New York and the New Eng- 

 land States, where the soil is too acid for timothy. Redtop will with- 

 stand acid soil and is the dominant grass on all these hills. Redtop 

 is also grown to some extent about the southern edge of the timothy 

 belt. It has always been considered as especially adapted to very wet 

 lands, and is commonly sown on wet lands, pastures or meadows. 

 Redtop is extensively grown on the great, flat clay lands of southern 

 Illinois. These lands usually require two or three tons of limestone 

 to the acre to counteract their acidity. These lands are also de- 

 cidedly wet and in need of drainage. Throughout this area redtop 

 is grown as a hay crop, and practically all of the seed in the United 

 States is produced here. 



Life History. Redtop spreads rather slowly from the root, and 

 usually forms a close, compact sod. It has short root stalks three to 

 six inches in length as a general rule, but individual plants vary a 

 great deal in this respect. Redtop is usually considered as a perma- 

 nent grass, the root stalks constantly reproducing vigorous new 

 plants that maintain the stand. Its vigorous sod-forming habits 

 make it a grass well adapted for permanent pastures, either alone or 

 mixed with other grasses that need a filler to produce good sod. 



Redtop for Pasture and Meadow. In general, redtop is not 

 considered to be so nutritious or productive as timothy. Its prin- 

 cipal merit lies in the fact that it will grow where timothy fails. 

 Redtop pasture is nutritious, but it has generally been observed that 

 where animals had a mixed pasture of redtop ami Kentucky btue- 

 grass they are likely to choose the blue-gra^s in preference to redtop. 



Redtop hay of good quality can be secured if cut green enough, 

 but the plant rapidly deteriorates in quality after the blooming 

 period. For this reason it is generally not considered desirable to 



