B. P. I.— 230. 



Aa-ORCHARD GRASS." 



By R. A. Oakley, Assistant Agriculturist, Farm Management Investigations. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Orchard grass {Dactylis glomerata L.) is a well-known standard 

 grass which is grown to some extent in every State in the Union and 

 quite commonly in the region east of the Mississippi Kiver and north 

 of the northern portions of Alabama and Georgia. It attains most 

 importance, however, in Kentuck}", southern Indiana, Tennessee, 

 North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland, and seems 

 quite thoroughly adapted to a variety of soils in these States. 



It may be said that the general opinion of farmers in regard to the 

 value of orchard grass either for hay or pasture is quite unfavorable. 

 This unfavorable opinion, which is due somewhat to prejudice, exists 

 to a greater extent in the timothy region than elsewhere, ^nd as the 

 limits of this region are reached and crossed orchard grass is much 

 more highly regarded. The objectionable features of the grass are in 

 general its bunch^^ habit, coarseness, and the unpalatability of its hay 

 unless cut at the proper state of maturity. These objectionable 

 features are not alone the cause of its unpopularity or the reason why 

 it is not grown more generally. There is no doubt that orchard grass 

 could be grown very successfully throughout the greater portion of 

 the timothy region, but as the demand for any hay except timoth}^ is 

 ver}^ limited farmers see little inducement for them to raise it. On 



« In connection with the general plan of the Farm Management work it is contem- 

 plated to take up the study of various seed crops. Much interest is now being mani- 

 fested in better seeds for the farmer. This is especially true of forage-crop seeds, 

 including both grasses and clovers. Mr. Oakley's paper, which is contributed from 

 the Office of Farm Management, conducted under the direction of Prof. W. J. Spill- 

 man, is a valuable contribution to the methods followed in growing orchard grass 

 for hay, for pasture, and for seed. Special attention is called to the fact that orchard 

 grass seed as usually grown is for all practical purposes pure. The investigations of 

 this Bureau have shown that considerable quantities of the seed of this grass found 

 in the market contain seed of other and less desirable, cheaper grasses. That the 

 seeds of these cheaper forms have Ben added for the purpose of adulteration seems 

 evident from the fact that the gras; bearing them are not found in orchard grass 

 fields to -any extent worth menti- 'g. — B. T. Galloway, ChieJ of the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry. 



100— VI 45 



