154 FARM GRASSES OP THE UNITED STATES 



plants to grow on their rice-fields. Redtop is a grass 

 that is worth trying for this purpose. It may not 

 prove to be adapted to the climatic conditions of the 

 sedtion in question, but it is adapted to that class of 

 soils. 



ORCHARD-GRASS {Dactylis glomerata) 

 (Cocksfoot of England and New Zealand) 



Orchard-grass (Fig. 31) illustrates well the fadl 

 that after the agricultural authorities have had their 

 say, the farmer himself is the court of last resort in all 

 matters of farm praftice. All over the timothy region 

 orchard-grass has been repeatedly urged upon the 

 farmer by agricultural writers, but the farmer, for the 

 most part, has just as persistently refused to grow it. 

 This grass also illustrates another fadl — namely, that 

 a grass may have many excellent qualities, and yet be 

 outclassed by other grasses because of one or two appar- 

 ently minor faults. We have seen that blue-grass, in 

 spite of its low yield, its failure in midsummer, and 

 the difficulty of securing a sod of it, is still the great 

 pasture-grass in this country (in the North), because 

 of its palatability, its high nutritive quality, its in- 

 crease of yield with age, and the pleasing appearance 

 of the sward. 



Orchard-grass is the earliest grass to start up in 

 spring, remains green during long, hot summers and 

 late into the fall; it furnishes abundant feed, and is 

 fairly well liked by stock; but it grows in tussocks, 

 and therefore does not make an even sod. It must 

 also be cut promptly when grown for hay, or its qual- 

 ity rapidly deteriorates. The seed is also expensive. 



