VI 



TIMOTHY (Phleum pratense) 



BMOTHY (Fig. 16) is frequently known as herd's 

 grass in New England, though elsewhere, 

 especially in the Middle and South Atlantic 

 States, this latter name is applied to redtop. 

 Timothy is by far the most important hay grass in 

 America. In spite of the fact that chemists tell 

 us it is one of the least nutritious of the grasses, 

 timothy, or mixtures in which it is the leading con- 

 stituent, constitutes nearly three-fourths of the total 

 area of tame hay and a much larger proportion of the 

 market hay of the country. Even in the South, where 

 it is not grown to any considerable extent, it is the 

 principal hay on the markets of all the larger cities; 

 in fact, no other true grass is recognized as a standard 

 hay, except in restricted localities. There must be 

 some reason for this apparent discrepancy between the 

 chemical composition of timothy hay and its standing 

 on the markets. 



In the first place, this grass has the best seed habits 

 of any hay or pasture plant known. The seed from 

 an acre of it will sow a larger area than almost any 

 other grass. The seed is easily harvested and retains 

 its vitality remarkably well. Being entirely unlike 

 any other common seed, both in size and appear- 

 ance, its purity can readily be judged by the farmer. 



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