1 82 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



the amount of seed should be reduced approximately 

 in proportion to the number of grasses in the mix- 

 ture. 



MEADOW OAT-GRASS (Arrhenatherum avenaceum) 



This is a grass of comparatively small importance 

 in the United States. It has two serious faults, each 

 of which greatly reduces its value. In the first place, 

 it is not very well liked by stock, though it is possible 

 to get them to eat it readily after they become accus- 

 tomed to its peculiar flavor; secondly, it has decidedly 

 poor seed habits. Within twenty-four hours after the 

 seed starts to ripen it begins to fall. In the case of 

 a small field/of this grass, which the writer grew for 

 seven years at the Washington State Experiment 

 Station, one season it was noticed on Saturday evening 

 that the seed in the top of the panicles was beginning 

 to turn brown. It had been closely watched with a 

 view to saving the seed. On Monday morning the 

 grass was cut with an ordinary grain-binder, yet fully 

 half the seed was lost, partly by falling out before cut- 

 ting, and partly from shattering in the subsequent 

 handling. Even if it had no other fault, this one 

 would render it impracticable for general cultivation. 

 The writer has met only one farmer who was enthusi- 

 astic over the merits of tall meadow oat-grass. This 

 was in eastern Tennessee, on the edge of the timothy 

 region. In the timothy region proper it is almost 

 unknown. It occurs sparingly all over the country, 

 but is nowhere of great importance, and is adapted to 

 a considerable variety of soils. The only reasons for 

 its occurrence in America at all are that it will thrive 



