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standing this grass prefers a wet soil, it has the ability to withstand severe 

 droughts even when sown upon dry uplands. It will retain its verdure late 

 in the fait and even in winter when it has not been pastured during the 

 summer or cut for hay. Under these conditions the old grass falls down 

 and forms a protection for the young sprigs which keep green during 

 severe frosts and hard freezes. Good winter pastures of this grass are 

 especially valuable for ewes at lambing time, the green grass producing 

 a copious flow of milk when the young lambs most need it. 



Herd's grass is often sown with other grasses and leguminous plants, 

 and especially with timothy and clover. These additions largely increase 

 both the quantity and quality of the hay, but they do not permanently 

 benefit the pasture, as the clover, being a biennial plant, soon disappears 

 and timothy cannot survive the heavy tread of cattle or the compact 

 tramping of sheep. 



For stopping gullies no grass except the Bermuda is equal to herd's 

 grass. Like Bermuda-grass it will send its long rhizomes down the sides 

 of the gullies which take root at every joint and will, in a short time, 

 cover the silty deposits in the bottom of the gullies. This mat of grass 

 will catch and hold the soil carried by the water after a rain, thus grad- 

 ually building up the bottom until it can be crossed with a plow. 



WHEN TO CUT FOR HAY The proper time for harvesting 

 herd ; s grass so as to secure the best quality of hay is when in full flower 

 or as soon thereafter as possible. When seed is the main object it should 

 not be cut until fully ripe. It is more easily cured than almost any other 

 hay grass. Cut in the morning of a clear day after the dew has been dis- 

 sipated by the warmth of the sun it should be ready, unless very heavy, 

 to be raked up into windrows in two hours, and put into cocks in the late 

 afternoon. Remaining in cocks for another clear day it may be stacked 

 or ricked without the least danger from over-heating or fermentation in 

 the stack. If there should be any doubt in this respect it must be watched, 

 however, for a day or two, and if an undue amount of heat should be 

 generated the stack should be torn down. Rarely is this necessary and 

 care should be taken not to put the hay in stacks until it is fairly well 

 cured. The less the hay is exposed to the sun the better and sweeter it 

 will be. Mr. P. H. Marbury, of Warren county, Tennessee, who for 

 many years was a most successful cultivator of this grass, thus gives his 

 experience with it: 



"As a meadow or grazing grass it is very valuable. It yields on good 

 soil from a ton to one and one-half tons of superior hay, the stems and 

 blades much fewer and somewhat softer than timothy. I prefer it to 

 timothy my stock prefer it. For grazing it is very valuable. Upon 

 land where limestone is absent it flourishes, has greater tenacity of life, 

 makes a sod almost impervious to hoof and tooth in fact it is the blue- 

 grass of the mountain district. We have but little lime in our soils and 

 therefore blue-grass does not grow well. For a meadow I prepare the 

 soil well with plow and harrow and sow one bushel of clean seed per 

 acre, one-half one way and then sow the other half across the first so as 

 to avoid leaving spaces unoccupied. A light brush may be dragged over 

 it or not, as is preferred. I prefer to leave it without brush or roller. 

 The roller is better than a brush; in fact it prepares the surface well for 



