350 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



character of the adaptation greatly different until the 

 streams leave the movmtain districts, since the cli- 

 mate within reasonable proximity to the coast is mild 

 and even in character. When, hov^rever, the river val- 

 leys leave the mountains, more especially those that 

 flow inland rather than seaward,- the mean tempera- 

 ture differs considerably with latitude. The grasses 

 and clovers that may be grown there along the entire 

 coast under irrigation are nearly the same. In the 

 valleys that extend eastward from the mountains, such 

 grasses as are adapted only to mild climates could not 

 be grown successfully in the northern valleys; nor is 

 this to be regretted since these are not so valuable in- 

 trinsically as those that are more rugged and enduring. 

 All grasses and clovers are not equally well adapted 

 to irrigation. Those that have such adaptation in a 

 marked degree are happily sufficiently numerous to 

 meet all the needs of those who till the soil. Promi- 

 nent among the grasses that have high adaptation for 

 irrigation are timothy, redtop, Russian brome, orchard 

 grass, meadow fescue, perennial and Italian rye grasses ; 

 among the clovers are alfalfa, medium red, mammoth, 

 alsike and the white. In productive power and dura- 

 tion of life, alfalfa is king among the clovers and in 

 productive power king also over the grasses. With 

 such a wide range of valuable gi'asses to choose from, 

 those who till these valleys can not only secure hay of 

 any combination desired, but they can also secure enor- 

 mous yields of the same. Heretofore, but little at- 

 Ipinpt has been made to grow these plants in combi- 

 nation. In growing for hay, the aim should be to 



