GROWING AND HANDLING. 18 
been sown. It is customary to graze cattle on it nearly the entire 
year, as they do not materially injure the crop of seed if they are kept 
out for two or three weeks immediately before gathering. The seed 
is harvested by pulling the heads off with a stripper, the grass not 
being cut for hay. The cleaning is a rather difficult process, as it is 
necessary to rub the heads thoroughly in ‘order to separate the seed 
from the web at the base. The last of the chaff and dirt which is 
blown out during the cleaning process is sold as ‘* extra-cleaned” seed. 
Poa compressa (Canada bluegrass).—The seed of Canada bluegrass 
is mostly produced in the Province of Ontario, along the north shore 
of the eastern half of Lake Erie. The soil is a heavy clay on lime- 
stone. In this section Canada bluegrass is not sown, but appears as a 
volunteer in any fields that are not kept under cultivation, making a 
thick growth and crowding out other grasses and weeds. It is nearly 
always found in wheat fields when the wheat crop is a partial failure. 
In this case the seed, ripening as it does at the same time as the 
wheat, is thrashed with it and screened out in cleaning. Where the 
seed is harvested alone the grass is cut with a mowing machine and 
cured the same as ordinary hay, and afterwards thrashed with a 
clover huller or grain separator. The hay is bright green, even when 
not cut until after the seed is ripe, and is well liked by some farmers 
as feed, while it is considered hard and of little value by others. A 
good crop is from 200 to 300 pounds of clean seed per acre. There 
has been some demand for this seed in the Southeastern States under 
the name of Virginia bluegrass. The seed is easily cleaned, as it is 
comparatively free from wool at the base and does not require rub- 
bing, as does Kentucky bluegrass seed. No special machinery is used 
except rather long sieves to insure sufticient screening. 
Poa triwialis (rough-stalked meadow grass).—The wholesale trade 
in the seed of rough-stalked meadow grass is largely confined to the 
city of Hamburg, Germany. The seed is collected in the neighbor- 
hood of that city and in the marshes of the Elbe. Seed of good 
quality is also supplied from Denmark, where in one locality this 
grass is grown especially for seed, and it is said to yield as much as 
400 pounds to the acre. The seed is stripped or the grass is cut and 
the seed allowed to after-ripen, when it is cleaned by hand. 
Poa nemoralis (wood meadow grass).--The seed of wood meadow 
grass 1s gathered by hand in the woods of Germany, and cleaned in 
the same manner as is the seed of Poa trivialis. 
Poa triflora (fowl meadow grass).—Though widely distributed 
throughout the northern portion of the United States, this species is 
chiefly a natural meadow grass of lowlands, and is usually so mixed — 
with sedges and other grasses that seed collection on a commercial 
scale has not thus far been undertaken in this country. The seed of 
this species on the market comes from Europe and is very poor. 
