72 STOCK RANGES OF NORTH WESTERN CALIFORNIA. 



grass. The one species would largely remedy the defects of the other. 

 In the East and in Europe tall oat grass is sown in the spring, but in 

 the Southern States and in most parts of California September will be 

 the best time for sowing. Professor Scribner recommends that if sown 

 alone, 5 or 6 bushels of seed to the acre should be used, which at the 

 present price of seed (about $3.25 per bushel, or $18 per 100 pounds) 

 will be considered almost too heavy an outlay for the farmer. It seeds 

 abundantly, however, and by purchasing a small quantity of seed one 

 season enough can be harvested to sow a large area the following year. 

 In this way, too, its merits and adaptability to local conditions can be 

 better determined. "Owing to the structure of the seed, it maybe 

 sown deeper than most other grasses." 



Timothy (PI ileum pratense) is grown to a limited extent in Sher- 

 wood and Long valleys, but is said to "run out" within a few years. 

 This is probably due to sowing alone and to pasturing too late in the 

 rainy season, either of which methods of treatment renders the grass 

 more liable to be trampled out. If used as a soiling or silage crop, 

 this difficulty would probably not be met with. In the East and in 

 Europe it is customaiy to sow timothy in mixtures with other grasses 

 and clovers. It is considered satisfactory only on somewhat moist, 

 loamy, or clayey soils and is apt to give a light yield on dry soils. It 

 is not likely to succeed in northwestern California, therefore, except 

 on bottom lands and in mountain valleys. Professor Scribner recom- 

 mends sowing half a bushel of seed to the acre if sown alone, or about 

 10 pounds if the red or alsike clovers are grown with it. 



Yetch (Vicia sativa), an annual climbing plant, grown in Europe 

 for several centuries as a forage plant, is considered one of the best 

 soiling crops for cool, moist climates. Except in the New England 

 States and Canada, it has not been considered satisfactoiy on this con- 

 tinent, on account of its extreme susceptibility to dry, hot weather. 

 On the coast of northern California, however, there seems to be no 

 reason why it should not be grown for silage or for green fodder for 

 milch cows, as it makes a luxuriant growth at Berkeley and at Scotia, 

 keeping green till the middle of May in the former locality and till 

 the middle of June in the latter. This plant makes good summer feed 

 for horses, but should not be fed until in full bloom, on account of its 

 diuretic action (Smith). It is said to materially increase the flow of 

 milk in cows. Two bushels of seed are required to the acre. 



White clover (Trifolium repens) is a perennial, forming an excel- 

 lent turf. "The foliage, though produced in small quantity, is 

 sweet, nutritious, and eagerly sought for by all kinds of stock " (Smith). 

 In some places white clover is reported as being disliked by stock, 

 but this is probably due to alsike clover having been mistaken for 

 it, as the two are much alike in general appearance. Alsike clover 

 is somewhat bitter and is not so well liked by stock. White clover is 

 said to possess higher nutritive value than any other species. Some 

 of the newer selected strains, such as giant perennial white clover, 



