310 FIELD CROPS 



hay as in another. There is naturally some difference in 

 this respect among the many species, but there is likely to 

 be as much variation between samples of any one of the 

 important grasses when grown under different soil and cli- 

 matic conditions or when cut at 'different stages of growth. 

 There is a very decided variation also in the digestibility of 

 the same grass when cut at different stages for hay, the 

 maximum of digestible food material usually being present 

 at about the time the grass is in bloom or a little later. 



While there is comparatively little difference in food 

 value among the grasses, there is a great variation in palata- 

 bility. Thus, Kentucky blue grass and brome grass are 

 among our most palatable pasture grasses, while timothy 

 makes hay which ranks high in this regard. Redtop is less 

 palatable as pasture than Kentucky blue grass, and less as 

 hay than timothy. Velvet grass, which contains as much 

 food material as timothy, is not eaten by stock because of 

 the numerous hairs on the stems and leaves. Other grasses 

 are unpalatable for other reasons. Different animals vary 

 somewhat as to their choice of the grasses, so that some 

 grasses that are highly palatable to cattle, for instance, may 

 be less so to sheep. The soil and the proportion of the dif- 

 ferent elements of plant food which it contains also seem to 

 have some influence on palatability. 



SUPPLEMENTARY READING 



Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Vol. II, pp. 365-377. 



Burkett's Farm Crops, pp. 43-62. 



Beal's Grasses of North America. 



Hunt's Forage and Fiber Crops in America, pp. 1-51. 



Shaw's Grasses and How to Grow Them, pp. 1-48. 



Spillman's Farm Grasses of the United States, pp. 1-74. 



Wing's Meadows and Pastures. 



