148 FARM GRASSES OF THE UNITED STATES 



service it renders in the great hay-producing States of 

 the Middle West lies in the fadl that it invades old 

 timothy meadows^ particularly in the low, moist por- 

 tions of the field, and thus causes the farmer to plow 

 up these old, unprodudlive sods. It thus increases the 

 average yield of timothy by causing meadows to be laid 

 down anew oftener than they otherwise would be. The 

 distribution of redtop is shown in Fig. 30. 



While chemical analysis and digestion experiments 

 show that redtop is more nutritious than timothy, it has 

 little standing either with farmers or on the markets, 

 and its presence in hay in any considerable quantity 

 lowers the market grade of the hay. It is the chief 

 constituent of the ' ' other grasses ' ' referred to in the 

 grades of hay established by the National Hay Asso- 

 ciation. The basis for the lack of popularity of red- 

 top is found in its comparatively small yield on the one 

 hand and its lack of palatability on the other. It is 

 also a grass that deteriorates rapidly if allowed to stand 

 till over-ripe — more rapidly, at least, than timothy. 

 It is, therefore, not surprising that where timothy 

 thrives, redtop is not generally a favorite. It possesses^ 

 however, some redeeming features, and is a most use- 

 ful grass in its place. 



On land that is too wet for timothy, redtop is de- 

 cidedly the best substitute for that grass. It will even 

 thrive on land too wet for cultivation. In the mountain 

 regions of the West there are many valleys in which 

 there are more or less extensive areas of low, level land, 

 often too wet for the plow, on which redtop is easily 

 started merely by scattering the seed. These mead- 

 ows are the reliance of the rancher for winter feed, 



