a + 
Manure. 
Growth. 
Development. 
Depasturing. 
Yield. 
Nutritive 
value. 
Harvesting 
of seed. 
120 
To grow dogstail successfully, the soil must be somewhat rich. Manures of all kinds 
are beneficial especially those containing nitrogen. Liquid manure and irrigation have 
a very beneficial action. The largest yield is obtained on irrigated and well drained land. 
Growth, yield, nutritive value. Dogstail forms small, simple tufts; at times, some of 
the branches may creep along the ground for a short distance. When sown sufficiently 
thick, it forms a complete sward. The culms are not very numerous ; the height varies 
from one to two feet. The radical leaves are produced in abundance. ‘They vary much 
in breadth, according to the nature of the soil. Few culm leaves are produced and they 
soon become hard. 
The full yield is obtained during the second and third years after sowing. This 
erass occupies a middle place between the late and early grasses, as it comes into flower 
about the end of May or the middle of June. The aftermath is, however, largely increased 
by its leafy shoots and culms which have meanwhile been produced. The leaves begin 
to develop as early as those of other grasses, but the culms are later in making their 
appearance. 
Depasturing should begin early. It is better to depasture early because the culms 
begin to harden, almost as soon as they appear and are liable to be left standing. 
In summer, alpine pastures are often quite thickly covered with the culms of dogstail 
left in this way. It is an error to conclude from this that cattle do not like the grass, as 
the leafy shoots are quite readily eaten. In a pasture, it is impossible to keep the grass 
so closely cropped that the culms are prevented from forming. If other tufted grasses 
abound in mountain pastures, their culms will usually be left standing like those of 
dogstail: this character, then, ought not to be regarded as peculiar to any one grass. For 
example, in districts where red fescue enters largely into the composition of the pasturage, 
abundance of its culms are found standing during summer. ‘The same remark applies to 
perennial rye-grass in the marshy districts of England. 
Vianne obtained from a fertile soil 2700 Ibs. of hay per acre. Sinclair obtained from 
an acre of manured loam 1838 Ibs. of hay in the first cutting and 3403 Ibs. of green 
aftermath. According to Sinclair & Vianne 100 lbs. of grass give 34 Ibs. of hay. According 
to Ritthausen & Scheven only 31 Ibs. 
Chemical analysis shews that the nutritive yalue of this grass is high: 
100 Ibs. of hay contain: — 
Ritthausen & 
Way. Schavbn. Arendt. 
Organic matter : ? . 80.4% 78.8 °/o 78.9 %/o 
composed of: — 
Nitrogenous matter ; ~ 9,5 °/o 6.6 °/o 14.3 °/o 
Fat ‘ , ; ; : 3.1 °/o Sy Bed 3.5 °/o 
Bira’ Uf 0 ge Eee signs 36.7 /o 
Non-nitrogenous extractives. . 45,2 fo 33.3 °/o 
The small amount of nitrogenous matter and fat in the second analysis probably depends on the 
circumstance that the plants were taken from a very moist soil. According to the other two analyses, 
dogstail is superior in nutritive value to hay of medium quality. 
Harvesting, impurities and adulteration of seed. By the end of July or the beginning 
of August the plants are ripe. At the proper stage of ripeness the seed can readily be rubbed 
out, the pales are yellow, and the caryopsis has a leathery consistence. 
