148 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 
service it renders in the great hay-producing States of 
the Middle West lies in the fact that it invades old 
timothy meadows, particularly in the low, moist por- 
tions of the field, and thus causes the farmer to plow 
up these old, unproductive sods. It thus increases the 
average yield of timothy by causing meadows to be laid 
down anew oftener than they otherwise would be. The 
distribution of redtop is shown in Fig. 30. 
While chemical analysis and digestion experiments 
show that redtop is more nutritious than timothy, it has 
little standing either with farmers or on the markets, 
and its presence in hay in any considerable quantity 
lowers the market grade of the hay. It is the chief 
constituent of the ‘‘other grasses’’ referred to in the 
grades of hay established by the National Hay Asso- 
ciation. The basis for the lack of popularity of red- 
top is found in its comparatively small yield on the one 
hand and its lack of palatability on the other. It is 
also a grass that deteriorates rapidly if allowed tostand 
till over-ripe—more rapidly, at least, than timothy. 
It is, therefore, not surprising that where timothy 
thrives, redtop is not generally a favorite. It possesses, 
however, some redeeming features, and is a most use- 
ful grass in its place. 
On land that is too wet for timothy, redtop is de- 
cidedly the best substitute for that grass. It will even 
thrive on land too wet for cultivation. Inthe mountain 
regions of the West there are many valleys in which 
there are more or less extensive areas of low, level land, 
often too wet for the plow, on which redtop is easily 
started merely by scattering the seed. ‘These mead- 
ows are the reliance of the rancher for winter feed, 
