ARTIFICIAL EESEEDING ON WESTERN MOUNTAIN RANGE LANDS 17 



erally die during the late fall and spring as a result of frost heaving 

 and drought. 



Indications are that Kentucky bluegrass seed germinates better 

 with light, and the seed should barely be covered after sowing. 



CANADA BLUEGRASS 



Canada bluegrass {Poa comyressa) is a hardy perennial, resem- 

 bling Kentucky bluegrass in appearance, forage value, and growth 

 habit. It is a somewhat smaller species, however, the leaves usually 

 being a little shorter, and it is considered slightly less productive. 

 It grows in a great variety of soils, becomes established on somewhat 

 poorer, drier soils than Kentucky bluegrass will well endure, and is 

 very persistent when it becomes established. Under range conditions 

 15 pounds of seed an acre is commonly used. Although the species 

 has not been tried out in an experimental way on western ranges so 

 extensively as have some other species, results in that region, as else- 

 where, indicate that Canada bluegrass has considerable value for 

 range reseeding. Information concerning Canada bluegrass as a cul- 

 tivated pasture and lawn grass may be found elsewhere (21^). 



Eedtop {Agrostis pcdustris)^ is variable in size and accommodates 

 itself to a great variety of sites. It is essentially, however, a plant 

 of moist to wet meadows. Under such conditions, particularly on 

 wet acid sites, it does better than any other cultivated grass, but on 

 drier sites other grasses usually give better results. On suitably 

 moist soils, which are conducive to rapid growth and early establish- 

 ment, it is usually desirable to sow sufficient seed to obtain a full 

 stand (about 8 or 10 pounds to the acre). Redtop seed, as purchased 

 in the market, fortunately has greater relative purity than that of 

 many other species. Its diminutive size, however, precludes any but 

 very shallow soil treatment. The use of this species for cultivated 

 pastures is described elsewhere {2 ^2 If). 



QUACK GRASS 



Quack grass {AgropyroTi repens), sometimes called couch grass, is 

 a species of wheatgrass, propagating by rootstocks as well as from 

 seed. Because of its aggressive habits of growth and the difficulty 

 of eradicating it, quack grass is considered a pest on farm lands (H). 

 In the western range country, however, these characteristics, com- 

 bined with a fair forage value, highly commend it. Probably be- 

 cause of its eastern ill repute and classification as a weed, quack grass 

 has not been given much recognition as a range forage plant nor 

 much opportunity to prove its qualifications for this purpose. Where 

 tried, it has given results sufficiently satisfactory to warrant addi- 

 tional experiment. 



Quack grass starts growth early and requires a fairly good, moist 

 soil. It is not killed out by severe winters or cool summers, and has 



^ Often referred to in literature as AgrosUs alba. The name used above is preferred by 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



60371^ 



