102 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



is more nearly blue than any other grass. It does not 

 grow so tall as Kentucky blue-grass, and may be dis- 

 tinguished from it by its flat stems and bluer color. 

 In eastern Ontario and in western New York it is 

 sometimes cut for hay. The hay is highly prized, 

 being preferred by horsemen to timothy, but the small 

 yield renders this grass of little importance for hay 

 production. 



TEXAS BI.UE-GRASS (Poa arachnifera) 



This is a grass that is more or less favorably known 

 over most of the cotton-growing States. It produces a 

 very beautiful sward which retains its deep green color 

 at all seasons of the year. It is worthy of general atten- 

 tion in the South as a lawn grass. As is the case with 

 Bermuda grass, it is difficult to start from seed, and it 

 is usually started by planting small pieces of sod. The 

 stems being upright, a sod can be separated into very 

 small pieces, which should be set not over a foot apart 

 each way, as it does not form a sod as quickly as Ber- 

 muda grass. This grass remains green winter and 

 summer in the grass-garden of the Department of Ag- 

 riculture at Washington. The difficulty of securing 

 sod for starting Texas blue-grass is probably the chief 

 reason why it is not more generally grown for lawn 

 purposes in the South. It is gradually gaining ground, 

 and may in time become important. It is rather too 

 difficult to start to justify its general use as a pasture- 

 grass. 



