113 DACTYLIS GLOMERATA, T... ORCHARD GRASS. 



Timotliy ; but experiments thiit have l)een <!jirrii'(l on for u period 

 of twenty years li-tve led me to believe that ()''ehar(l grass is 

 mucli better fitted lo be the heading kind in mixtnrc<, whether 

 for pasture or for hay, or used ah)ne or otherwise; and I phice 

 it far in advance not only of Timothy, but of any other grass we 

 liavo thus far in cultivation. It is very early. The advantage of 

 tliis earliness is not only that it gives three Aveeks longer for the 

 aftermath to grow, but another reason, far more important is, 

 that at this date the white ox-eyo daisy (Chri/sanflieinuin leucan- 

 fjiemnm,) and other troublesome weeds are not yet in a condition 

 to seed, so that should any of them happen to be in the fields, 

 they are destroyed by being cut before they havt; ripened their 

 seeds." 



The following is by Prof. I. P. Roberts, of Xew York: 

 "Orchard grass is hardy with us, and gives an abundant yield of 

 good hay, if cut early and carefully cured. Where we liave used 

 it as the principal grass in pastures, it becomes jiatchy ; that is, 

 some portions of the field the cattle will eat close, while other 

 portions, where the grass gets a little start, will go to seed, after 

 which all gro vth ceases till the next season. I have frequently 

 mowed the pastures as the grass was heading out ; sometimes the 

 cut grass was left on the field, sometimes cured for hay. It grows 

 in hummocks to such an extent that evaporation from the soil 

 in dry weather goes on so rapidly that the other grasses perish 

 for want of moisture, and then, too, orchard grass is always 

 'dry' and takes the lion's share of the moisture. Except for 

 timber lots, and for mixing with a variety of grasses for perma- 

 nent pastures, its value is not great with us." 



A writer in the Connecticut Report of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture for 18G8, remarks : " Orchard grass does Avell on dry land, 

 giving a largo yield of coarse, black looking hay, very sweet and 

 palatable to cattle, but it must be cut early, suffering more from 

 standing too long than any other grass with which I am familiar. 



