176 
ILLUSTRATED STOCK DOCTOR. 
growing late in the Fall, and holding its substance well in the Winter. 
So that" after being pastured in Spring if allowed to grow on through the 
Summer and Autumn, cattle and other stock may be wintered on it 
admirably, when deep snow does not cover the ground. Both varieties 
arc found in their best perfection in limestone soils, although they do 
well according to latitude on all strong, rich, and even on some -rather 
thin soils if well drained. Neither variety is adapted to wet soils. It 
cannot be called a hay grass, its great value being for pasturage. 
Red-Top. 
The next grass in importance, because found to do well on a great 
variety of soils, is red-top. It makes good hay and is valuable for 
pasturage. It should be more generally cultivated than it is, being 
adapted to a very considerable range of soils, neither very wet noi \ery 
dry. As before stated, in Pennsylvania this is called herd’s grass, and we 
may add in Rhode Island it is known as Burden’s grass. While red-top 
has a goodly range of soils which it adapts itself fairly, it does best 
on a rather moist soil, flowering rather late, or about the same time or 
later than timothy. It dries out considerably in curing into hay, and is 
not very rich 1 n sugar, gum or starch, three important elements in feeding. 
It is a strictly perennial species, and forms a pretty dense sod, when well 
established. 
Orchard Grass. 
This is really one of the most valuable grasses for extensive trial as a 
first-class pasture grass in the whole list of cultivated grasses. The 
wonder is that a grass so generally regarded as excellentin Europe, should 
have made its way so tardily in this grass country. This is probably 
from its habit of growing in tufts where sown thinly. It is one of the 
earliest of the grasses to start in the Spring, is strictly a perennial, starts 
freely after being grazed or mown, and if sown thickly makes excellent 
hay.” it thrives better than most of the grasses in a partial shade, and 
hence its common name, orchard grass. 
For pasture it should be sown at the rate of not less than two bushels 
of seed per acre, -three bushels is better. It is very light, weighing only 
fourteen pounds per bushel. When sown for hay we have had excellent 
success by seeding at the rate of sixteen pounds of orchard grass, and ten 
pounds of clover per acre. It is excellently adapted to sowing with red 
clover, since it blossoms more nearly with clover than almost any other 
of the grasses. 
