352 THE PRiNCIfAL CULTIVATED GRASSES 



come into most general culture. Virginia, Kentucky, and southern 

 Missouri are the regions where it has attained its greatest importance 

 as a forage crop. As a pasture plant, orchard-grass starts spring 

 growth earlier than any other common grass, with the possible ex- 

 ception of smooth brome-grass. Orchard-grass also produces a very 

 heavy aftermath of basal leaves after the seed is harvested. This 

 aftermath continues growth through the fall much later than other 

 grasses. In fact, it continues to grow until hard freezing weather. 

 It thus has an important place in pasture mixtures by furnishing 

 early spring and late fall pasture. Its main disadvantages are the 

 high price of seed, the fact that it forms a rather poor sod, being 

 a decided bunch grass, and also loses in quality as it matures. In 

 pastures it is usually necessary to keep it cropped close or cattle will 

 refuse to eat it when it has gone to seed. If it grows too large, it is 

 generally best to mow the pasture, when the aftermath will come on 

 at once and furnish good pasture the rest of the season. 



Seed and Seeding. The seed of orchard-grass is produced prin- 

 cipally in the United States (see page 325) and Xew Zealand. In 

 general, the quality is fair, but it is likely to contain a rather high 

 per cent of chaff. The ordinary rate of seeding is about twenty 

 pounds per acre. Orchard-grass is not as winter resistant as 

 timothy, and therefore should not be sown in the fall unless sown 

 very early. It is the general custom to sow it in the spring. It may 

 be sown either with a nurse crop, such as oats, or upon fall wheat in 

 February. Orchard-grass seed does not usually feed well through 

 ,a drill, and must be sown broadcast. The wheelbarrow seeder is 

 .probably the best means of sowing it. 



Mixtures of Orchard-grass. As orchard-grass forms a poor 

 sod, it is the general custom to mix other grasses with it for pasture 

 purposes. Redtop and blue-grass are both suitable, as they are good 

 :sod-forming grasses. For hay purposes, however, clover is usually 

 mixed with orchard-grass. Another grass which also has been found 

 as a suitable mixture, largely because it matures at the same time, is 

 tall meadow oat-grass. It, however, is also a bunch grass, and when 

 these are sown alone weeds are apt to give much trouble. In the 

 seed-growing regions it has been found very satisfactory to sow 

 about twenty pounds of orchard-grass and ten pounds of red clover. 



