102 DESCRIPTION OF FEEDING STUFFS 



it is not considered equal to timothy hay in quality, and when 

 present in timothy reduces the market value of this hay. 10a 



Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata) is mostly grown along the 

 southern border of the timothy region, in Virginia, North Carolina, 

 Tennessee, and Kentucky (p. 90), although it is recommended for 

 many northern States and for a variety of soils. It succeeds well 

 in shady places and orchards, but grows in bunches and forms a 

 very rough sod. It is generally sown in mixtures with Kentucky 

 blue grass and white clover. Orchard grass is one of the earliest 

 grasses to start in the spring and is ready to cut before timothy. 

 If cut when in bloom or earlier, it makes a hay of very good quality. 

 If cut after bloom, the hay is coarse and unpalatable to stock. 



Like, red top, orchard grass hay is 1 high in digestible nutrients, 

 being higher both in digestible protein and carbohydrates than 

 timothy. 11 



Smooth brome grass (Bromus enermis) is a most important perennial 

 pasture and hay plant in the eastern part of the northern plains region. 

 It occupies a similar place in this region as timothy and Kentucky blue 

 grass do in northeastern United States. This grass makes » good hay 

 crop for a number of years, and is relished by cattle, sheep, and horses. 

 It is especially valuable as a pasture grass for Kansas, Nebraska, and the 

 Dakotas, but it is not adopted to the warm climate of the southern States, 

 nor, apparently, to conditions in the northeastern part of the country. 



Bermuda grass is the foundation of all the best permanent pastures 

 in the South, and in many localities is important for hay. As the seed is 

 expensive and somewhat uncertain in germination, this grass is usually 

 propagated by planting small pieces of sod. The yield of hay on rich 

 bottom land may- be as much as four tons per acre, less on poor soil, and 

 oh dry clay hills not worth harvesting. Its feeding value is fully equal 

 to that of timothy. 12 In the irrigated regions of the southwestern States 

 this grass frequently becomes a serious pest. 



Johnson grass gives a heavy yield of excellent hay in the South and 

 furnishes good grazing .for one or two seasons, but is such a pest when 

 grown in fields where it is not wanted that its planting in clean fields 

 cannot be recommended. It spreads both from seeds and by its vigorous 

 creeping root-stocks. 13 Johnson grass is also undesirable from the feeder's 

 standpoint, in so far as it may contain prussic acid (hydrocyanic acid), 

 if the growth has become rank, and fatal results have followed when 

 cattle have eaten of it. It is, therefore, a plant that cannot be recom- 

 mended, in spite of the fact that it yields heavily and furnishes » .good 

 quality of soiling crop and hay, under favorable conditions. 14 



Prairie hay, wild hay and stock hay are hay crops obtained from 

 native grasses in the prairie or range sections of the country. They vary 

 considerably in quality and feeding value, according to the kind of grasses 

 making up the hay, the stage of maturity, and other factors. Good grades 

 of these hays have a nearly similar value as timothy hay for feeding 

 horses, cattle and sheep. M a 



10 a U. S. Dept. Agr., Cir. 43. 



11 U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry, Bulletin 100, vi. 



"Farmers' Buls. 509 and 814. "Farmers' Buls. 279 and 509. 



"Bureau of Plant Industry, Bui. 11, 72, iii and 90, iv; La. Cir. 10, 



%D. S. Dept. Agr., Mo. Crop Kept. Sept. 15, 1915. 



