324 



FIELD CROPS 



creeping bent and redtop. Another closely related grass 

 which is grown in lawns, on heavy clay soils, and in places 

 where Kentucky blue grass does not grow well, is Rhode 

 Island bent, Agrostis canina, a small form with a creeping 



habit. Neither of these 

 grasses is of any value 

 for hay production. 



ORCHARD GRASS 



407. Origin and De- 

 scription. Orchard grass, 

 Dactylis glomerata, is a 

 native of Europe, but is 

 now found quite gener- 

 ally, though sparingly, 

 throughout the United 

 States except in the semi- 

 arid sections. It is rather 

 more deeply rooted than 

 timothy, the roots often 

 penetrating to a depth of 

 at least 2 feet. The plant 

 grows in tufts or bunches 

 and does not spread by 

 creeping rootstocks. The 

 culms are from 2 to 3 

 feet tall. The culm 

 leaves are rather scanty, 



but are sometimes as much as 2 feet in length, and are 

 broader than the leaves of most other grasses. The flowers 

 are produced in June, about the same time as those of red 

 clover. They are borne in a one-sided panicle, the spike- 

 lets being in dense clusters and containing three or four 



Fig. 101. Orchard grass, a hay grass of 

 value in some localities. 



