Name. 
History. 
Agricultural 
value. 
Geographical 
distribution. 
Habitat and 
Limits of 
altitude, 
Climate. 
Soil. 
Substances 
108 
Creeping red fescue or, shortly, creeping fescue is sometimes called red sheep’s fescue. This and 
the tufted red fescue belong to the genuine red fescues (subspecies eu-rubra, Hackel). 
Although this grass has only recently come into cultivation, its yalue was recognised hy Schreber 
as early as 1769 and later by Mauke. 
Creeping fescue is perennial, and, on appropriate soil; is yaluable either as pasture 
or as bottom grass, although it does not yield fodder of the best quality. According to 
Sinelair, its duration is from 7 to 8 years, The maximum yield is obtained in the second 
year, On good soils, better grasses ought to take its place. On poor land, especially moist 
sands and railway-banks, it forms a compact grass and serves to bind the soil by its 
subterranean branches. As fodder it is tolerably good. The aerial part of the plant closely 
resembles hard fescue, but, on the whole, it is more robust 
Occurrence, Climate, Soil, Manure. Creeping fescue has a wide distribution in Europe, extending 
from Spitzbergen to Greece, Sicily and Southern Spain. In Southern Europe it occurs only on the 
high mountains, as on Oeta in Greece, al a height of 6,500 ft. In the Sierra Nevada of Spain, it 
occurs at an altitude of 9,200 ft. It is also found in the temperate regions of Asia and of N. America. 
It occurs on dry pastures, by roadsides, on the margins of woods, in wood-clearigs, in sandy 
fields and even on walls. It extends from the sea level to the alpine regions (St. Moritz 5,900 ft, 
Piz Padella 7,200 ft., Melchalp 6,850 ft., Bigi 5,900 ft. etc.). 
Creeping fescue when growing in a favourable soil, is little affected by drought, although 
it is not so hardy in this respect as sheep's fesene. In general, it delights in dew and 
can therefore be cultivated on sands by the sea-side, or on the borders of rivers. It 
is not at all sensitive to cold and bears shade very well. 
It thrives best on loose, half-moory soil in which the stolons can develope. It can 
also be grown on shallow soil if it is good and not too dry. In many alpine regions 
where the layer of soil is extremely thin, it forms the bulk of the pasture, showing that a 
loose, rich soil, however shallow, is suitable for its growth, In hay grown on light sandy 
soils, it is often abundant and in such cases it forms very valuable bottom grass; it thrives 
better than other hottom grasses. It succeeds equally well on the better class of moor- 
lands, but it is out of place on other good soils. 
According to the experiments made at the Swiss station, 1000 Ibs. of hay remove from 
removed from {]e soil: 
the soil. 
Manure. 
Growth. 
Development, 
Nilrogen 7.9 Ibs. Magnesia 0.4 Ibs, 
Phosphoric acid O° 4); lames WO 28S are. 3 
Potash 11.5 Silica . AY pa 
Soda 0.5  ,, Sulphuric acid . is 3 
The root system is confined mainly to the superficial layer of the soil, and from this 
layer these substances are removed. Accordingly, a top-dressing or irrigation acts very 
favourably. 
Growth, yield, nutritive value. Creeping fescue forms a loose tuft of grass with short. 
creeping, underground branches (see botanical description). This mode of growth enables 
it fo forin a complete, though somewhat loose sward. 
During the year of sowing, it developes very little produce, but during the second 
your the maximum yield is obtained. It shoots somewhat later in spring than sheep’s 
fescue. The flowers appear at the end of May or the beginning of June; at high altitudes, 
of course, somewhat later, After flowering, the radical leaves become partially dry, and 
