VOL. LXXIII, No. 4251. NEW YORK, APRIL 18, 1914. WEEKLY $1.00 PER YEAR. 
RED-TOP IN NEW YORK. 
A Grass for Sour Land. 
.CONTRASTED WITH TIMOTHY.—The place of 
Timothy in New York agriculture is so important 
and prominent that the value and importance of 
Red-top is often overlooked. On the one hand, no 
one will argue that Red-top can successfully compete 
with Timothy, where conditions are favorable for 
the latter. Its yield per acre is less and the mar¬ 
ket prefers Timothy, for which it will pay a higher 
price. It lacks in palatability when compared with 
ance of the head or panicle when ripe. When this 
species first comes into bloom it gives a silvery ap¬ 
pearance, but later becomes reddish, giving rise to 
its common name of Red-top. It is largely used 
for hay. The stem is the largest and coarsest of 
the three common species. Under very favorable 
conditions it will yield two tons per acre, although 
the yields throughout New York State, where it is 
grown, is probably not more than one ton per acre. 
The second species considered is Agrostis stoloni- 
fera. commonly known as "Rent” or “Creeping 
Rent" grass. Its stem is not so large, hut finer 
grown rather than the Brown Bent. Insomuch as 
the Brown Rent can adapt itself to greater ex¬ 
tremes than the Rent or Creeping Bent grass, and 
forms a denser sod, it persists as a valuable grass 
where conditions are unfavorable to the Creeping 
Bent grass. 
CHARACTERISTICS AND ADAPTATION.—One 
of the common characteristics of the group is that 
the Red-top grasses are stoloniferous. By this we 
mean that new plants arise from the underground 
root system, and thus it spreads itself more rapidly 
than a bunch grass, a common example of which is 
WESTERN NEW YORK SPRAYINO SCENE. THE RICH) BARREL PROTECTS THE SPRAY MAN. Fu;. 234. 
Timothy. On the other hand, much of our land 
will 'no longer grow Timothy, due to acidity and 
poor physical condition generally, in addition often¬ 
times to an actual depletion of soil fertility. On 
these lands Red-top is indispensable. Moreover, in 
many of our permanent pastures, where the condi¬ 
tions of soil, moisture and temperature are unfavor¬ 
able, Red-top is again of greatest importance. 
SPECIES OF RED-TOP.—Although there are a 
relatively large number of rather distinct species of 
this grass, three are of greater agricultural and 
commercial importance. The first of these more im¬ 
portant varieties is Agrostis alba vulgaris, common¬ 
ly known as “Red-top," due to the reddish appear- 
tliau the Red-top. It is a very fine grass for per¬ 
manent pastures, and would not he profitable to 
grow for hay where common Red-top could be 
grown. The cattle pasture on it readily while 
green and succulent, although its palatability de¬ 
creases rather rapidly when it ripens and becomes 
dry. It spreads itself over the ground rapidly, and 
produces a fair amount of green pasturage and a 
good sod. The third species is Agrostis canina, 
commonly known as Rhode Island Rent, or Brown 
Rent grass. It is shorter and finer than the creep¬ 
ing Rent grass, and is used for pastures and lawns. 
Where conditions are favorable for the growth of 
the Rent grass for pasture purposes, it should be 
Orchard grass. New plants may arise from a joint 
of the grass stem, particularly the lower joint, by 
coming in contact with the soil, due to the bending 
character of the grass plant. It takes root in the 
soil, sends up new stems and gives rise to new 
plants. This habit of reproducing itself makes it a 
good sod-forming grass, much better than Timothy, 
and so makes it valuable in pastures where a strong 
sod, that will resist injury from tramping, is neces¬ 
sary. This stoloniferous habit is most developed in 
the Brown Rent grass, least developed in the com¬ 
mon Red-top, while the Creeping Bent grass is 
intermediate between the two. 
SOIL REQUIREMENTS.—Red-top will grow on 
