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HARDY GRASSES 
REED CANARY GRASS (Cert.) 
(Phalaris arundinacea) 
The Peat and Swamp Land Wonder Grass 
There is a reason for the great popularity of 
Reed Canary Grass. It has reclaimed many 
worthless swamps and is making real profits 
for hundreds of farmers. It is especially 
adapted to boggy soils, swamps and marshes. 
Reed Canary is not a new grass, but has been 
grown in central Minnesota for about 30 years. 
Six to Ten Tons of Hay Per Acre 
Such yields are not unusual. The hay has high 
feeding value and is eagerly consumed by all 
livestock. One acre will pasture three to four 
dairy cows throughout the season. The great 
demand for Reed Canary Grass Seed also is a 
source of a fine profit. 
A Hardy Perennial Grass 
Reed Canary Grass is a perennial and will 
thrive until broken up. The plants are cold 
resistant—both as seedlings and in the mature 
stages. Reed Canary Grass is not a dangerous 
grass like Quack, but can be easily controlled 
by plowing. This grass grows rapidly, begin¬ 
ning early in the spring. The heads appear 
about the first week in June and are ripe about 
four weeks later. Leaves are broad, light green 
in color, and the plants often grow five to six 
feet in height. The underground stems rapidly 
form a tough sod that will hold up hay-making 
machinery without difficulty. 
How To Grow the Crop 
Prepare a good seed bed, for it will take less 
seed and make a better stand. If possible, plow 
in the fall which allows early seeding in the 
spring. The seed will germinate in water, but 
if covered by soil underneath the water, it will 
not grow until the water has drained off. 
Experiments have shown that Reed Canary 
Grass responds readily to planting with a com¬ 
panion crop such as flax, small grains, Timothy 
or Bromus Inermis. The value of planting such 
a crop is as follows: it will hold the weeds in 
check; it will shade the ground and keep it 
from drying out so quickly, thus protecting the 
young Reed Canary Seedlings which grow so 
much more slowly than other grasses until they 
are fully established. After Reed Canary Grass 
is out of the seedling stage, it grows T very 
rapidly and will crowd out all other grasses and 
weeds so that eventually you will have a perma¬ 
nent meadow or pasture, consisting entirely of 
Reed Canary Grass. 
Rate of Seeding 
Sow any one of the following companion crops 
with Reed Canary Grass: flax at the rate of 
35 to 42 lbs. per acre—small grains at one-half 
the regular , rate. Timothy broadcast at the rate 
of 4 to 5 lbs. per acre, or Bromus Inermis broad¬ 
cast at the rate of 4 to 5 lbs. per acre. 
Sow the seed in the spring as early as possi¬ 
ble so that the seedlings may become well estab¬ 
lished before the weeds begin to grow. On very 
weedy land, seed the last week in June or the 
first week in July, discing your land up to this 
time in order to kill the weeds. Seeding may 
also be done in August or in October if there 
is any difficulty in getting onto your land in 
the spring. The seed should be sown at the 
following rate—broadcast, 5 to 6 lbs. per acre; 
drilled, 2 to 3 lbs. per acre in 16 to 18-inch 
rows. Use a packer on peat after seeding. 
Reed Canary Grass will produce an abundance 
of pasture from early spring until fall. It 
should be kept grazed very close except in the 
fall. For hay, cut as soon as the heads begin 
to appear as the grass contains the highest 
feeding value and is finest at this stage. Two 
or three crops of hay and some fall pasture may 
be obtained by such a practice. Price: Lb., 35c. 
Subject to price change. See Blue Figure List. 
TIMOTHY 
A hardy, perennial resistant to both cold and 
drought—it is best adapted for sowing with 
Clovers which supply nitrogen to the soil and 
increase the vigor of the Timothy. It may also 
be sown with grains as a nurse crop. The soil 
must be well pulverized and the seed slightly 
covered. Do not cut too early or pasture too 
late in the fall after the hay is cut. Timothy 
produces 1 Vz to 3 tons of hay per acre and 
should be cut at flowering time. Sow 15 to 20 
pounds per acre alone; with Clover, 10 to 12 
pounds per acre. Price: Lb. 20c, 5 lbs. 75c, 
postpaid. See Blue Figure Price List. 
CRESTED WHEAT GRASS 
The Ideal Dryland Pasture Grass 
Crested Wheat Grass is a hardy, drought-re¬ 
sistant perennial bunch grass. It has a longer 
productive period than Slender Wheat Grass or 
Bromus Inermis. It is native to the cold, dry 
plains of Russia and Sibera, and it is particu¬ 
larly adapted to the Great Plains section of the 
United States. 
Probably due to its extensive root system 
which permits storage of abundant food reserves 
and ready utilization of water, Crested Wheat 
Grass makes an early and rapid growth. It has 
a tendency to become dormant during an ex¬ 
tremely hot dry period, but resumes its growth 
in early fall, continuing until late in the season. 
It grows at low temperatirres and is able to 
utilize the soil moisture and to check the growth 
of other grasses and weeds where the moisture 
supply is limited. In the semi-arid regions— 
Kansas, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming and the 
Dakotas, this grass does best, although it ap¬ 
pears to do well anywhere. When used as pas¬ 
ture for sheep, no matter how badly it has been 
subjected to use, it comes right up again. 
Seed Production Profitable 
Crested Wheat Grass produces 400 lbs. of 
clean seed per acre grown under dry conditions 
on fields two or more years old. Any good field 
will produce 200 to 300 lbs. per acre. There is 
a great demand for seed. 
Sow 10 lbs. of seed to the acre. After ob¬ 
taining a good stand, no cultivation is necessary, 
as it will choke out all weeds. Harvest it once 
a year. Price: Lb. 65c, 5 lbs. $3.00, postpaid. 
For larger quantities, see Blue Figure Price List. 
BROMUS INERMIS 
Bromus is a vigorous, hardy perennial with 
strong, creeping roots which makes excellent 
hay and pasture on poor, dry soil or on moist, 
low ground that is flooded at times. It may be 
sown on hillsides, terraces and levees to keep 
the soil from being washed away. It makes an 
early growth, two to three weeks before any 
other grass, and remains green until November. 
It will stand close cropping. 
It grows 3 to 4 feet high, yielding large 
crops of palatable hay, 2 to 4 tons per acre. 
Cut for hay when in full bloom. It is also a 
profitable seed crop. 
Sow at the rate of 25 to 30 pounds per acre 
with one-half the usual quantity of small grain. 
Price: Lb. 30c, 5 lbs. $1.25, postpaid. 
KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS 
This famous grass does well almost every¬ 
where on soii that is fairly rich, moist and 
moderately well drained. For best results, there 
should be lime present in the soil. Kentucky 
Blue Grass will last for many years as the 
plants spread from underground roots and it 
rarely needs reseeding. Blue Grass is the best 
of all grasses for lawns, golf courses and parks. 
When sown alone use 35 to 40 pounds per acre. 
Price: Lb. 25c, 5 lbs. $1.10, postpaid. 
DOMESTIC RYE GRASS 
This grass is well adapted for pastures, 
meadows and lawn, as it endures close crop¬ 
ping and makes a dense, leafy undergrowth. 
It thrives almost everywhere but grows best in 
moderately rich soil. Domestic Rye Grass does 
better on moist soil, sow 20 to 30 pounds per 
acre. Price: Lb. 25c, 5 lbs. $1.00, postpaid. 
See Blue Figure Price List. 
CREEPING BENT GRASS 
This grass makes a fine, dense, firm turf 
which withstands hard usage; it is ideal for 
lawns, terraces, and putting greens on golf 
courses because it makes a compact sod due 
to its spreading habit. It makes rapid growth 
in a year, crowding out other grasses. Our 
seed is true to name and of finest quality. Sow 
3 to 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Price: 
Lb. $1.10, 10 lbs. $9.50, postpaid. See Blue 
Figure List. 
After Harvesting Reed Canary Seed, a Hay 
Crop Can Be Cut Immediately. 
MEADOW FESCUE 
This hardy western grass stands more abuse 
than Timothy and other grasses and will stand 
close cropping, drought and unfavorable soil 
conditions. Meadow Fescue grows two to three 
feet high and produces a very leafy under¬ 
growth. In sowing alone, use 20 to 25 pounds 
per acre. Price: Lb. 30c, 5 lbs. $1.25, postpaid. 
RED TOP 
A hardy, perennial grass, found almost every¬ 
where, but predominating on low, marshy 
ground, where it forms luxuriant growth. It 
grows 2 to 5 feet high, depending on soil and 
climatic conditions, with creeping roots, which 
enable it to grow on very wet and even very 
dry soil where other grasses grow but sparsely. 
It makes good pasture, and fair hay,, if cut 
early, but the matured plants are wiry and 
coarse. It is best grown with other grasses and 
clover. Price: Lb. 25c, 5 lbs. $1.00, postpaid. 
HARBIN LESPEDEZA 
U. S. D. A. Strain No. 65280 
Harbin Lespedeza is a hardy drought-resist¬ 
ant early strain of Korean Lespedeza introduced 
from Manchuria. It is designed to fill a big 
gap in the pastures of the northern states where 
other clovers and alfalfas cannot be grown to 
advantage. , 
Harbin Lespedeza makes its best growth in 
summer when pastures become brown and bare. 
It grows readily in sour soil and matures seed 
even north of the Canadian border. Harbin will 
find a place on worn acid fields and on barren 
patches of permanent pastures. Its habits of 
growth make it fit ideally into a pasture im¬ 
provement program as it loves hot weather and 
is very drought resistant. 
Harbin is a legume and should be inoculated 
in order to improve the soil. It will also pre¬ 
vent erosion as it grows rapidly and does well 
on bare spots and in ditches. 
Harbin Lespedeza will produce as much as 
600 lbs. of clean seed per acre. It is important 
to buy northern grown seed as some of the 
southern grown Lespedeza seed looks very simi¬ 
lar to Harbin. 
Rate of Seeding 
For pasture purposes, plant 5 to 6 lbs. 
per acre in 6-in. drills. When harvested for seed, 
a mower should be used and the cutting bar placed 
close to the ground. The plants are gathered in 
bunches as soon as cut and allowed to sweat 
out and threshed from the field with a separator 
or a clover huller. A sheet iron pan with a 
slotted top attached to the cutting bar will help 
to catch seed that shatters. Seed also may be 
cut and gathered by hand. Price: Single lbs. 
50c, 5 lbs. $2.35, 10 lbs. and more at 45c per 
lb., postpaid. Subject to price change. 
SEE BLUE FIGURE PRICE LIST FOR QUANTITY PRICES. 
“Master Farmer ’ Seeds from FARMER SEED & NURSERY CO., Faribault, Minnesota Page 59 
