This grass gives the best results either for pasture or meadow if sown in a mixture with other grasses, especially with orchard grass. A mixture of it with red clover, alsike clover, and orchard grass is quite often grown and is a good one, as all of these plants mature at the same time. Tall meadow oat-grass seems to stand pasturing well and furnishes an abundance of grazing. It comes on early in the spring and remains green until late in the autumn. These points are greatly in its favor. Its poor seed habit is one of the greatest drawbacks to the popu larity of tall meadow oat-grass, for while it produces seed in sufficient quantity the seed shatters off before it is fully mature, making it very difficult to harvest. The seed is also of low vitality, and difficulty is experienced in securing a stand. Ground on which this grass is to be sown should be plowed thoroughly some time before seeding and well settled by means of a roller, drag harrow, or similar implement. Just before the seed is sown the surface of the ground should be stirred well with a disk harrow. On account of the character of the seed the best results will be obtained by sowing broadcast, as the seed does not feed evenly through a drill. With the grade of seed now on the market it is necessary to use from 30 to 50 pounds per acre if sown alone. Seed is produced to a limited extent in Virginia, but most of it is imported from Europe. Weight of seed of tall meadow oat-grass per bushel__pounds_- 10 to 16 Usual rate of seeding per acre. 150,000 MEADOW FESCUE. Meadow fescue (Festuca elatior Linnæus; fig. 14), also called English bluegrass and, in the South, Randall grass, is a hardy perennial grass attaining a height of 15 to 30 inches, or even more on rich land. It does not propagate by rootstocks or form a very heavy sod, neither is it inclined to be so bunchy as orchard grass or tall meadow oat-grass. Its leaves are bright green and very succulent. The seed is produced in abundance in open panicles, similar to Kentucky bluegrass, although much larger and more easily harvested. It is a standard grass in Europe, but has not received the attention which is due it in this country. It is grown to a very limited extent in some portions of the New England States, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Kentucky, and on a very small scale in a few of the Southern States. It is of most importance in eastern Kansas and Nebraska and in parts of Missouri. Seedsmen distinguish tall fescue as Festuca elatior and meadow fescue as Festuca pratensis, but these are merely tall and medium varieties of the same species. The former is more valuable, but the seed is scarce and ex pensive. Meadow fescue is useful as a pasture grass, and it makes a very good quality of hay and gives a fair yield. On average land 2 tons per acre is not exceptional, and it is possible to produce even more than this under proper treatment. Where the hay is used it is considered of very good quality, but it is nowhere grown in large quantities. Meadow fescue does not reach its highest state of productiveness as quickly as timothy but usually persists much longer. In sections where it is most common it has thus far been grown for seed and pasture rather than for hay. It is a very valuable grass for pasture, as it comes on early in the spring and also remains late in the fall. The latter point is of especial importance in Kansas and in Nebraska, as it supplements the native pastures. For wet soils few grasses are equal to FIG. 14. Meadow fescue (Festuca elatior Linnæus). meadow fescue. After the frost has killed the native grasses, stock may be pastured on meadow fescue, thus reducing by several weeks the period of dry-lot feeding.. Meadow fescue has excellent seed habits and produces an abundance of highly germinable seed, which is easily harvested and cleaned. Northeastern Kansas is at present producing more seed than any other section of the country, and seed from this source gives a good stand of grass without difficulty. Weight of seed of Number of seeds in 1 pound 25 ___ 240, 000 FIG. 15.--Foxtail millet (Setaria italica Linnæus; Chaetochloa italica (Linnæus) Scribner). millet (Setaria italica Linnæus; Chaetochloa italica (Linnæus) Scribner; fig. 15) is a plant of very ancient cultivation, far antedating the records of written history. Many varieties now exist, some of the principal ones being German, common. Hungarian, Golden Wonder, Siberian, and Kursk millets. Hungarian millet is also called Hungarian grass. Originally millet was cultivated as a cereal for food, and its use for this purpose is still extensive. In America, however, it has been used almost wholly for forage, both hay and pasturage. The cultivated forms of foxtail millet are not known to occur wild, but are believed to have developed from the nearly related wild green foxtail (Setaria viridis Linnæus). Millet is a summer or warm-season short-lived annual. It is able to grow and mature with relatively small supplies of moisture and is therefore largely grown in dry regions. On account of its rapid growth it is much used as a summer catch crop. Millet hay is considered good feed for cattle, but has long been regarded as injurious to horses, causing derangements in the kidneys, swellings of the joints, and softening of the bones. The best hay is obtained by cutting the plant in early bloom. Millet has the reputation of seriously reducing the yield of the crop that follows, which does not add to its popularity with farmers. Weight of seed of foxtail millet per bushel_ Number of seeds in 1 pound... Usual rate of seeding per acre RHODES GRASS. ---pounds-- 40 to 55 --pounds. 12 to 25 Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth; fig. 16) is a perennial plant, native to South Africa, first cultivated by Cecil Rhodes in South Africa about 1895. It is fine stemmed, very leafy, and grows to an average height of about 3 feet. The flowering head consists of long spreading spikes, 10 to 15 in a cluster. Seed is produced in abundance. The grass also spreads by means of running branches 2 to 6 feet long, which root and produce a tuft at every node. At no place in the United States has it become troublesome as a weed. Rhodes grass is completely destroyed when the temperature in winter falls to about 18° F., and as a perennial grass it is therefore adapted only to Florida and a narrow strip along the Gulf coast to southern Texas and westward to southern California. Farther north it must be treated as an annual. At Washington, D. C., it will produce but a single crop of hay in a season. Farther south two cuttings may be obtained under favorable conditions. On rich land in central and southern Florida, however, as many as six or seven cuttings are made in a single season. A good stand of Rhodes grass will yield from 14 to 1 tons of hay to a cutting from an acre. This hay is of very fine quality and is eagerly eaten by horses and cows. Seed of Rhodes grass is at present all imported from Australia, where the grass is extensively grown. There seems to be no reason, however, why seed should not be produced in the United States, especially in view of the demand and the excellent quality of the seed which has been grown in test plats. Early spring seeding usually gives the best results. The seed bed should be prepared by thorough plowing, after which the subsur face should be well settled by the use of a roller or similar implement. Just before the seed is sown the surface layer of soil should. be loosened and well fined. This can be done by light disking and FIG. 16.-Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth). harrowing when the ground has become somewhat packed from rains, but if the surface has not packed or crusted harrowing is sufficient. On account of the comparatively low vitality of the seed, |