356 THE PRINCIPAL CULTIVATED GRASSES 



the seed ordinarily weighs from ten to twenty pounds per bushel, 

 as it contains a large amount of chaff. Carefully recleaned seed will 

 weigh as high as thirty pounds to the bushel. Blue-grass seed is 

 usually sold by the pound, and in all cases the recleaned seed should 

 be preferred, as it contains so much smaller a percentage of hull. 



Canadian Blue-grass Origin and History. Canada blue- 

 grass is a native of Europe, but had a very early introduction into 

 North America. It seems to be particularly well suited to Canadian 

 climate and soil, especially the province of Ontario. It is found 

 growing wild very generally through Canada and northeastern 

 United States. In adaptation, it differs from Kentucky blue-grass 

 in its ability to grow on poor and dry soil, and also in soils rather low 

 in lime content. 



In appearance, Canada blue-grass differs from Kentucky blue- 

 grass in having a flat stem instead of round, in having a much more 

 compact seed head, and a decided bend in stem at each joint, while 

 the Kentucky blue-grass stem is straight. It is also much less pro- 

 ductive than the Kentucky blue-grass. Canada blue-grass also is a 

 whitish-green color, while the Kentucky blue-grass is a yellow-green 

 color. 



Seed and Seeding. Canada blue-grass is grown only for pas- 

 ture purposes, though it is occasionally used for lawns on poor soils. 

 It is a very persistent grass, and five to ten pounds to the acre in a 

 mixture will be sufficient to give a good start. It should not be used 

 where Kentucky blue-grass will grow, but is a very desirable grass for 

 poor soils. The seed is usually abundant and cheaper than Ken- 

 tucky blue-grass, and for that reason is sometimes used as an 

 adulterant. The seed of the two blue-grasses is so near alike that 

 only a seed expert can tell them apart. 



QUESTIONS 



1. Give origin and history of timothy. 



2. Why is little timothy grown south of the Ohio River? 



3. How important is timothy in the United States? 



4. Why is it so important? 



5. How does the legal weight of timothy seed and keeping qualities com- 



pare with other grasses? 



6. State the rate of seeding. 



7. Give the principal method of seeding timothy. 



8. What is the reason for sowing timothy alone? 



