JOHNSON GRASS. 257 



season is preferred for seed, but it may be obtained from 

 the second. It may be cut for seed with the binder and 

 harvested with the ordinary grain separator. The bind- 

 er may with advantage be set to cut the crop high, to 

 avoid unnecessary work in threshing. The seed, when 

 properly winnowed, should weigh 25 pounds per meas- 

 ured bushel. Owing to the strong feeling that exists 

 against this grass, because of the difficulty in destroying 

 it, the demand for the seed has been vexy greatly cur- 

 tailed, and this has had the effect of discouraging the 

 growth of seed. 



Renewing. — As with all plants that increase by means 

 of root-stocks, pushing out horizontally into the soil, the 

 tendency is constantly present in this grass to such in- 

 crease in the number of the plants as to cause them to 

 mat to the extent of decreasing growth. When this oc- 

 curs, ploughing the land and smoothing the surface will 

 renew growth in the same. And since growth in John- 

 son grass entirely ceases during the season of frost the 

 plan has been adopted in ^ome instances of ploughing the 

 land in the fall and sowing on it a crop of winter turf 

 oats as previoxisly intimated. But the grass should be 

 well set before this is attempted. The method which 

 grows clover early in the season for promoting the 

 growth of the grass has already been referred to. 



Eradicating. — Testimony is almost unanimous in the 

 opinion that Johnson grass cannot be entirely eradicated 

 where it has once obtained a foothold. That is not the 

 opinion of the author, who cherishes the view that if 

 the plants are not allowed to grow above ground for a 

 single season, they will die. To prevent them from 

 Grasses — 17. 



