MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



MEADOWS AND PASTURES 



437 



notes are suggestive ; all dates refer to New York 

 conditions : 



Meadow foxtail thrives on damp, rich land, and 

 on such furnishes feed from early May on. Its 

 period of succulent growth and bloom extends well 



Fig. 664. Use of liay sling in field stacking. 



into July under such conditions, some individuals 

 not blooming until the latter date. It is relished 

 by all stock. 



Meadow fescue is considered to be one of the 

 best hay and pasture grasses. It is relished by all 

 stock, but will not thrive unless the land is in good 

 condition. It is suited to permanent grass-land 

 only, since it takes two or three years to attain 

 its highest productivity. 



Both meadow foxtail and meadow fescue are 

 little known to American farmers, but they are 

 much prized in England and merit attention here. 



Orchard-grass is readily eaten by all stock during 

 May and early June. It withstands drought well, 

 but becomes coarse during July. If mown, the 

 aftermath is readily eaten. 



Kentucky blue-grass is relished by most stock if 

 grown on land in good condition ; if spindly and 

 poor, it is not readily grazed. If well grown, few 

 grasses are better for permanent pasture. 



Tall oat-grass is not readily eaten by stock, 

 except in small areas. 



Red and alsike clovers are readily grazed by all 

 stock and are used for hay. They furnish feed 

 throughout the season if there is sufficient moisture, 

 but are not long-lived plants in the eastern United 

 States. They are used for temporary grass-land. 



White clover is used entirely for pasture. 

 , Timothy is the great hay grass. It is the grass 

 for one- to three-year leys in the eastern United 

 States. Some plants are adapted to grazing, and 

 opinions dififer accordingly as to its value as a 

 pasture grass. 



Awnless brome grass (Bromus inermis) is com- 

 paratively new. Its place seems to be that of a 

 pasture grass, where land is to be retained for a 

 term of years as pasture. For permanent pasture 

 its value is undetermined. 



Red-top is used for permanent and temporary 

 grass-land, both as meadow and as pasture. It 

 shows great power of adaptation and much varia- 

 tion. 



Canada blue-grass is esteemed as a pasture grass 

 in parts of New York and Canada. It is adapted to 

 heavy clay soils, which have been badly eroded 

 and will grow nothing better. 



Among other grasses of less importance are 

 crested dog's-tail, which is of little value as a 

 pasture grass ; perennial and Italian rye-grass, 

 which, although useful in England, have not proved 

 of general value here. Sweet-scented vernal grass 

 is of little or no value. Quack, although a valuable 

 grass for pasture and meadow, is almost never sown, 

 because of its weedy tendencies. 



(5) The quality, digestibility and palatability of 

 the herbage and of the different grasses evidently 

 vary widely, but there is still insufficient infor- 

 mation. 



Tlie grasses to sow. 



From the foregoing it is evident that in seeding 

 grass-land the following points warrant considera- 

 tion : 



(1) Choose grasses that yield heavily under the 

 local climatic and soil conditions. This is best de- 

 termined by growing the different grasses sepa- 

 rately on plats and noting the results during a 

 term of years. 



In the eastern states the following grasses do 

 best on moist soils : red-top, fowl meadow-grass, 

 meadow fescue, meadow foxtail, Italian rye-grass. 



Fig. 665. Hay fork in use. 



For clays and heavy loams, alsike clover and 

 timothy do well for hay, while Kentucky blue-grass, 

 Canada blue-grass, white clover and a little 

 meadow fescue should be added if the land is 



