l60 FARM GRASSES OF THE l^XITED STATES 



the pasture is allowed to rest iintil there is considerable 

 growth upon it, and then suflScient stock is turned in 

 to eat it down quicklj-, orchard-grass is eaten with the 

 rest. It has already been pointed out that this is the 

 best method of getting the most feed from pastures, 

 though it is not always pradticable to follow it. Or- 

 chard-gjrass revives quickly after being cut for hay or 

 cropped by stock, espyecially if there is plent3- of mois- 

 ture in the soil. In favorable seasons it 3-ields two 

 cuttings of haj- a year — another characteristic which 

 adapts it to sowing with red clover. 



The distribution of orchard-grass in this country is 

 approximately shown in Fig. 33. This map was pre- 

 pared in the same manner as that showing the distri- 

 bution of blue-grass (Fig. 19). Each dot represents 

 a correspondent who reported it as an important grass 

 in his locaUty. An examination of the map shows 

 that it is found most commonly around the southern 

 border of the timothy region; in fact, it is decidedly the 

 best of the farm grasses in that portion of the country, 

 and is deservedlj- popular there. It is most important 

 as a hay grass in Virginia, northern and western North 

 Carohna, northern Georgia, northern Alabama, in Ten- 

 nessee, and in those portions of Kentucky in which tim- 

 othy does not thrive. In the regions here outlined 

 timothy does well only on the best allu^nal soils, and is 

 liable to be entirelj- killed by the summer heat. Or- 

 chard-grass is here adapted to a large varietj- of soDs, 

 and 3"ields abundant crops of hay and pasture. It is 

 better understood here than farther north. 



Orchard-grass is also grown considerably in Mis- 

 souri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon, Wash- 



