212 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



southern states it grows more readily probably tban 

 any cultivated grass tbat does not make trouble by 

 persistently remaining in the soil. The food produced 

 by it in the South is usually much more than from an 

 equal area in the North. In the southwestern states 

 it can be grown in but few localities without irrigation 

 because of drought. But it would seem to have consid- 

 erable adaptation for the dry portions of certain of the 

 northern mountain states, as Washington, Idaho and 

 Oregon. But even in these it is not likely to be so much 

 grown as meadow fescue, because of some superior qual- 

 ities possessed by the latter. 



In Canada there would seem to be no very large place 

 for tall oat grass. In the provinces from Lake Huron 

 eastward, other grasses with superior qualities grow so 

 well that the necessity for it is not felt, although it 

 could be grown successfully in parts of all of these 

 provinces. In the provinces west from Lake Superior 

 it would seem that it has not been much tested, but it is 

 not likely that in these it will supplant Russian brome 

 grass, the qualities of which are in some respects su- 

 perior. More especially is this true of the latter with 

 respect to palatability, permanency, and the extent to 

 which it fills the soil with vegetable matter. 



Soils. — Tall oat grass, though more indiiTerent to 

 soils than some other grasses, will nc\-ertheless grow 

 much better on some soils than others. The soils best 

 adapted to growing it are those that are somewhat 

 dry, porous and sandy or gravelly in texture. As the 

 roots feed deeply, it is important that the subsoil shall 

 be porous. ^\'hatsoever the character of the surface 



