98 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



grazed even on stiff clays with but little injury to the 

 land at nearly all seasons of the year. 



Blue grass may usually be grazed closely all the while 

 without destroying the stand of the same. But when 

 grazed thus a maximum of pasture under the conditions 

 existing cannot be secured, and the drier the climate 

 the less, relatively, iwill the grazing be that is pro- 

 duced. When kept eaten down closely, the capacity of 

 the plants to grow is lessened, throiigh a less vigorous 

 vitality than they would otherwise have, and through 

 the increased exposure of the soil to the evaporating in- 

 fluences of the sun. Such exposure in winter is also 

 adverse to the most vigorous growth and this influence 

 is intensified with increase in the severity of the cold 

 when the ground is uncovered. Grazing in winter under 

 such conditions is also to some extent harmful, but blue 

 grass pasture seldom succumbs entirely because of close 

 grazing, on account of adverse climatic conditions, 

 where it has once become established. 



To obtain the largest possible amount of pasture from 

 blue grass it should not be grazed closely at any season. 

 So great ordinarily is the increase in the yield of the 

 pasture, when thus managed, that in some instances it 

 is not grazed at all in the spring. When thus left un- 

 grazed at that season, the grass reaches a maximum of 

 growth visually in May or June, according to the lati- 

 tude, and matures more or less seed. The seed stems 

 dry so as to be of little service for food, but the mass of 

 fine leaves near the ground usually retain their green- 

 ness during the summer and renewed growth follows 

 the falling of autumnal rains. Such pastures furnish 



