Alsike clover (Fig. 335) is rather generally used in small quantity in the meadow mixture and its use is becoming more prevalent than formerly. This clover succeeds well on land where red clover formerly succeeded, but now fails. Heretofore about two pounds of alsike have been used in the mixture in place of four pounds of red clover, but in recent years the quantity of alsike has been in creased. In middle Tennessee and in western Ore gon, alsike is rapidly replacing red clover entirely, because of the prevalence of diseases to which red clover is subject and alsike is not. [See Clover.] Pastures in the timothy region.
Timothy and clover meadows are more or less generally used for pasture purposes throughout the timothy region. The aftermath is very fre quently pastured after hay is cut, and it is a com mon practice to use the meadow exclusively for pasture after the first or second year. The only other pasture grass of great importance in this section is blue-grass (Pigs. 549-551), more com monly known in the southern parts of its territory as Kentucky blue-grass and in the northern parts as June-grass (Poa praiensis). In the quality of the forage it furnishes, blue-grass is hardly sur passed by any other grass in this country. In yield, however, it is inferior to many other grasses.
It furnishes most abundant feed from early spring to early summer and again in the fall after the heat of summer is past. In some sections blue grass invades meadow lands and becomes well estab lished by the time the clover begins to disappear, which is usually in two years. This is especially true on soils to which blue-grass is particularly partial. In other sections blue-grass is added to the meadow land at the time the clover is sown and becomes established within two or three years. Ordinarily this grass is very slow to start and in some sections farmers, particularly those whose principal business is the production of beef cattle, are loath to plow up a good blue-grass pasture because of the difficulty of starting it again. Blue grass is usually sown in the spring. The quantity of seed varies greatly because of the difference in quality as it is found on the markets. Twenty-five pounds per acre of the best quality is sufficient for a good stand, although it would require seventy-five pounds of much of the seed on the market.
Mixtures of other grasses than those here dis cussed are so rarely met with in the timothy region that they cannot be considered within the space available for this article. A few other grasses, however, deserve brief mention.
Position of other grasses and clovers in the timothy region.
Orchard-grass (Fig. 544) is of importance in only a few sections which lie on the margin of the tim othy region. An exception consists of two or three counties in Kentucky, below Cincinnati on the Ohio river, and one county opposite in Indiana. Most of the orchard-grass seed of the country is grown here. [Bulletin No. 100, Bureau of Plant Indus try, entitled "Orchard Grass."] In some parts of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, northern Arkansas, southern Missouri and eastern Kansas, orchard-grass is grown considerably both for hay and for pasture. It is usually seeded in the spring on well-prepared land with or without clover. Twelve to twenty-five pounds of seed are used per acre, according to the quality of the seed and the condition of the seed-bed. With goad seed and a well-prepared bed twelve pounds makes a very satisfactory stand, especially for seed-growing.
Orchard-grass has two serious faults. In the first place, it grows in bunches and makes a very rough sod. In the second place, it must be cut very promptly at blossoming time or within a few days thereafter, in order to make a good quality of hay.
ursine grass (Bromus inermis). Figs. 557, 672. This grass will be more particularly mentioned in dealing with the Plains region. Because of its larger yield of forage and its excellent quality this grass deserves more attention, especially as a pasture grass, than it has formerly received in the north eastern quarter of the United States. [See page 452.] Foul (Pea triflora, Gelib.; P. sero tina, Ehrh.). Fig 552. This is an important grass on wet lands in some parts of New England and is frequently recommended for wet lands through out the timothy region, though it has made no headway except in New England. Very little of it is on the markets and little is known concerning the quality of the seed or the amount required for sowing. As is the case with most grasses which are not standards, and the seed of which occurs in the markets in small quantities, the seed is usually not of very good quality.