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J. STECKLER SEED CO., LTD., ALMANAC AND 



year after sown it will furnish consider- 

 able g-razing- in the Winter and into the 

 Spring-, and if stock is taken oft it by the 

 first of April, it will grow rapidly, making- 

 a large yield of excellent and nutritious 

 hay. For hay, it should be cut while in 

 bloom. It is easily cured and possesses 

 high feeding value, with all proper con- 

 stituents. It is an excellent grass to sow 

 Q.n sandy land, hill-sides, ditches or em- 

 bankments, as its roots spread out and 

 hold the soil, preventing washing and 

 grullies. The use of Rescue Grass is ex- 

 tending- very rapidly all through the South 

 wherever it has been introduced. It is the 

 standard grass in Texas for "Winter pas- 

 tuiage, and is found growing there on larg-e 

 areas of prairie ground, forming almost 

 the sole grazing crop for cattle in Winter. 



BERMUDA G-RASS. — (Cynodon Dacty- 



lon.) Almost everybody living- in this 

 section of the country knows this grass; 

 it is planted as a Lawn Grass; and noth- 

 ing- will stand the sun better, or will make 

 a prettier carpet, when kept short, than 

 this grass. It is also very valuable as a 

 pasture and hay grass. It is only of late 

 years that we have been able to obtain 

 the seed of this srass, which heretofore 

 had to be propagated by the roots; 6 

 pounds will sow an acre. Should be plant- 

 ed in the spring-, but can also be sown 

 later. Under the most favorable circum- 

 stances it takes from 60 to 90 days to 

 sprout; requires damp weather and hot 

 sun; but when once up it grows very 

 rapidly. Used extensively by levee con- 

 tractors for planting^ on new levees. 



jaEADOW FESCUE. — (Festuca Fraten- 

 Bis.) As a pasturage grass we consider 

 this one of the most valuable. It is not 

 affected by dry weather, as its roots pene- 

 trate the earth 12 to 15 inches; it is much 

 relished by all kinds of stock on account of 

 its long- and tender leaves. It yields a 

 very superior hay when cured. It is de- 

 serving of much more attention. Sow in 

 spring- or fall. Two bushels to the acre 

 In some sections it is called Randall 

 Grass. This should not be confounded 

 with the Eng-lish Rye Grass, offered by 

 some dtealers as the same variety. 



PASFAI.UM FLATY-CAULE, OR CAR- 

 PET GRASS. — This Grass grows tena- 

 ciously in any sandy soil. Excellent for 

 lawns or pasture purposes on the Gulf 

 Coast and all sandy lands, and g-rows 

 equally as well on clay uplands. Green all 

 the year in lower Gulf States. It stools 

 heavily and is one parent stalk; in nineteen 

 months will spread several feet in cir- 

 cumference. Blades are wide and g-ive fine 

 foliage and when well set form a thick 

 green carpet that cannot be uprooted by 

 any amount of grazing. It has trans- 

 formed New South Wales into one of the 

 greatest dairying countries in the world. 

 The United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture Bulletin No. 248 on "Lawns" says: "In 

 the Gulf coast country the g-rass known 

 as Carpet Grass has for a number of years 

 been attracting- considerable attention for 

 use upon lawns. It has a habit of growth 

 very similar to Bermuda g-rass and under 

 same conditions it thrives and maintains 

 itself to even a greater extent than does 

 the Bermuda g-rass." This grass is easily 

 eradicated and one year's cultivation of 

 the turf in any other crop will entirely 

 eradicate it. Ten pounds mixed with sand 

 for hand sowing will sow an acre. The 

 best time to plant Carpet Grass is from the 

 latter part of November to the middle of 



March. Have the ground well prepared, 

 broadcast the seed, and do not try to 

 cover, as the rains will bury seed deep 

 enough. 



TALL MEADOW OAT GRASS.— (Arrlie- 

 natlierum Avanaceum.) Evergreen grass 

 in Virginia and other Southern States, and 

 it is the Tall Oat (Avena Elatior) of Lin- 

 naeus. It is closely related to the common 

 oat and has a beautiful open panicle lean- 

 ing slightly to one side. It is widely 

 naturalized and well adapted to a great 

 variety of soils. On sandy or gravelly 

 soils it succeeds admirably, growing two 

 to three feet high. On rich, dry upland 

 it grows from five to seven feet high. It 

 may be sown in March or April, and mowed 

 the same season; but for heavier yield it 

 is better to sow in September or October. 

 Along the more Southern belt it may be 

 sown in November and onward till the mid- 

 dle of December. Wherever sown it is one 

 of the most certain grasses to have a good 

 catch. Not less than 2 bushels per acre 

 should be sown. 



RED TOF GRASS. — (AgTOstis Vulg-aris.) 

 This is the best grass of England, the herd 

 grass of the United States; not in honor of 

 any man, but probably because so well 

 adapted to the herd. It is called also Fine 

 Top Burden's Grass. It grows two to 

 three feet high, and can be mown when 

 four feet high. It grows well on hill tops 

 artd sides, in ditches, gullies and marshes, 

 but delights in moist bottom land. It fur- 

 nishes considerable grazing during warm 

 "spells" in winter, and in spring and sum- 

 mer an abundant supply of nutrition. It 

 has a tendency, being very hardy, to in- 

 crease in density of growth and extent of 

 surface, and will continue indefinitely, 

 though easily subdued by the plow. Cut 

 before maturing seeds it makes a good 

 hay and large quantity. Red Top and 

 Timothy, being adapted to the same soil 

 and maturing at the same time, do well 

 together and produce an excellent hay. 

 Sow two bushels per acre, if alone, in Sep- 

 tember, October, February or March; if 

 with Timothy for hay from 6 to 10 pounds; 

 if with other grasses for pasture, 3 to 5 

 pounds. It is an excellent pasturage grass, 

 and will grow on almost any kind of soil. 



SEED RYE. — (For Forage.) This crop is 

 used all over the South for fall, winter and 

 spring pasturage, early green food, and for 

 green manuring as well as for grain. Rye 

 is very hardy, and will grow on poorer land 

 than other grain crops. It makes good 

 winter and spring pasture, and, if sown 

 early enough, makes a good fall pasture 

 also. It is a good spring soiling crop, 

 giving the earliest bite of green stuff; 

 makes a fair quality of hay if cut in 

 bloom, or before it is fully headed out. 

 It is very extensively grown, and suc- 

 ceeds well throughout the South. Rye can 

 be very satisfactorily sown at the last 

 working of corn or cotton, or it can be 

 sown by itself from July to November. 

 Sow at the rate of li/^ bushels per acre. 



ITALIAN RYE. — Is coming into great 

 favor wherever it is grown. Sown in the 

 fall it comes up quickly and makes a dense 

 matter turf, which gives most excellent 

 grazing during the fall, winter and early 

 spring. If it is desired to be used as a 

 hay crop it should not be grazed too long 

 in the spring, as it shoots up very early, 

 making a thick growth of grass which, 

 when cut cures up splendidly for hay. 

 With a favorable season it will yield three 

 or four successive cuttings of most excel- 



Nearly Fifty Years of Reliability in the Seed Business. 



