CHAPTER XXXVIII 

 THE SECONDARY GRASSES 



BROME-GRASS 



BROME-GRASS, also called awnless brome-grass and Russian 

 brome-grass (Fig. 159), is a native of the great upland plains of 

 eastern Europe, notably Hungary and Russia. While it has been 

 cultivated in Europe for perhaps 150 years, it was introduced into 

 the United States only about thirty years ago. It has now attained 

 a place, though not a very important grass, in the western part of 

 the United States. 



Characteristics. Brome-grass is a long-lived, very persistent 

 grass, that spreads by vigorous underground roots. It is very 

 drought-resistant, and therefore adapted to the great, dry plains 

 west of the timothy region. It, however, is a northern grass in 

 climatic relations, and has not given very promising results south of 

 the Dakotas. Through the Dakotas and into Canada, however, it is 

 probably the best cultivated pasture grass. The most valuable 

 quality of brome-grass is its ability to grow and remain succulent 

 during the hot, dry weather of midsummer, when most grasses are 

 dormant or dead. Brome-grass also starts growth very early in the 

 spring, and continues growth late in the fall. One of the principal 

 disadvantages is the tendency to become sod-bound after two or 

 three years. Usually it will not produce seed stalks for more than 

 about two years, but will continue to make good pasture for many 

 seasons. 



Seed and Seeding. Brome-grass yields a good crop of seed of 

 high vitality. The seed grows readily and no difficulty is experienced 

 in securing a good stand. It is the common custom to sow it alone, 

 either in the fall or spring, at the rate of twenty pounds of seed 

 per acre. 



A very common custom among the farmers that grow brome- 

 grass is to harvest two or three hay or seed crops, and then turn the 

 brome-grass into pasture for twe or three seasons, after which it 

 should be broken up and put into cultivated crops. 

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