UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
% BULLETIN No. 692 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 
WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 
Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER July 23, 1918 
THE AGRICULTURAL SPECIES OF BENT GRASSES. 
Part I—RHODE ISLAND BENT AND RELATED GRASSES. 
By CHAartes V. Piper, Agrostologist 1n Charge of Forage-Crop Investigations. 
Part Il.—THE SEEDS OF REDTOP AND OTHER BENT GRASSES. 
By F. H. Hituman, Assistant Botanist, Seed- Testing Laboratories. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
GENERAL SUMMARY........ iD Aare Ea 1 | Part Il1.—THE SEEDS OF REDTOP AND OTHER 
Part I.—RHODE IsLAND BENT AND RELATED BENT GRASSES: 
GRASSEs: Introductions ee ease eee 15 
A Trade conditions): $222 sa 8s5- 1 as ee 15 
I MuUchOMepry=. ne eee ce shee cen gays suns 
Se yon : Distinguishing the seeds................- 17 
Tiana ee B Generalistructureses. 5005.2 es eee 17 
PRE MACA ETT LL ee ei ee Distinguishing characters...........- 18 
Rhode Island bent ...-...............--. q The seeds described .....-..........- 19 
Colonial bent..............-.------------ 10 Seed! of redtops.., 220e25. sa82- 19 
Velvet bent, or brown bent ............. 11 Seed of Rhode Island bent....... 20 
Warpenbentie.ncisctss ose secede o-oo - 11 Seed of velvet bent ............-. 21 
Summanyee 22 to so ogoce eee St oo Eke 12 Impurities of commercial seed. .......... 22 
Hiteratureicited <<. 250.52... rec-.. 14 Summary -/oe eee ee een 25 
GENERAL SUMMARY. 
Part I of this bulletin discusses the identity and characteristics of 
Rhode Island bent and the immediately related grasses, namely, 
redtop, fiorin, velvet bent, and ‘‘creeping bent.”’ The distinguishing 
botanical and agricultural characteristics of these grasses are pointed 
out and two of them are illustrated with figures. 
Three of these grasses have been handled commercially by seeds- 
men, namely, redtop, Rhode Island bent, and “creeping bent,” in a 
mixture here referred to as South German mixed bent. The evi- 
dence indicates that little genuine Rhode Island bent seed has been 
on the market in recent years. 
Rhode Island bent is a ‘‘very valuable grass for lawns and golf 
courses, not much inferior to creeping bent.” Large quantities of seed 
55049°—18—Bull. 6922 —1 
