BREEDERS AND GROWERS 3 

turf. Tolerant of acid, droughty and infertile soil and does well on wet soil. In 
the better quality lawn grass mixtures, Red Top is used only as a nurse grass since 
it gives a fine-textured turf the first year and in later years gives way to the permanent 
grasses. Seeds per pound: 4,500,000. 
Perennial Ryegrass Lolium perenne: A short lived perennial, lasting from three to 
four years. Will furnish a temporary lawn, but as it gets older the sod becomes open. 
Is coarser than Red Top and the leaves get tough, so that mowing is difficult unless the 
mower is sharp. Thrives on fertile soil, well drained but with adequate supply of 
moisture. Seeds per pound: 285,000. 
Common Ryegrass Lolium multiforum: Resembles Perennial Ryegrass in general 
appearance and habit of growth except that it does not live so long and the blades 
are not so tough. When planted thickly will produce temporary grass in three to 
four weeks. Too much Ryegrass in a mixture may crowd or choke out slower grow- 
ing permanent grasses. Seeds per pound: 336,000. 
Other Grasses 
These are grasses which have proved unsatisfactory for lawn development in this 
country and include Timothy, Orchard Grass, Meadow Fox Tail, Crested Dog’s-Tail, 
Tall Oat Grass, Brome Grass and Meadow Fescue. The last named may have a 
limited use in shade mixtures. 
WHITE DUTCH CLOVER 
Trifolium repens 
White Dutch Clover, while not a grass, is often an ingredient in lawn grass mixtures. 
Will remain green in dry weather since the roots penetrate much deeper than grass 
roots and thereby get moisture. The plant spreads by creeping stems at the surface 
of the soil. It is able to take gaseous nitrogen from the air and convert it into a 
form which other plants can use. When sown in a lawn it will remain so long as 
the soil conditions are satisfactory to its growth. Heavy applications of nitrogen will 
cause the grass to choke clover out; on the other hand, soils deficient in phosphorous 
and lime make it nearly impossible to maintain a stand. 

New varieties of bluegrass are being developed for disease-resistance, 
adaptation and other desirable characters. 
