Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-09

70 the fact that it does not thrive in
summer. but 1t is one OF the best pasture
grasses, continuing green late in the
autumn and appearing very early in the
spring 1t Is not grown for hay and does
not-produce sufficient heritage to amount
to anything in a hay meadow. The forage
appears to be sweet and well relished by
stock
The fescues also appear very early and
7 are better adapted for early and late
pasturage than for summer use. There
are four or five of these which have done
well at the Knoxville garden during the
past year. The tennessee fescue,
native Of the balds and mountain parks
Of East Tennessee and Western North
/ Carolina, Is an excellent pasture grass
and deserves TO be more widely grown.
seed may be gathered by stripping, or ii
VIII spread from small pieces of the turf,
by planting at intervals through the fields.
Another pleasing grass is a sleeps fes-
enc from Montana, which grew very
slowly during the summer, but has now
taken on a new lease Of life, showing that
il is one Of the best winter pasture
grasses. The European reed fescue makes
a most vigorous growth and pro-
misses TO be valuable both for pasturage
and for hay. The true English blue grass,
hay grasses during the present season,
and viii supply considerable posturage
after the second growth of hay has been
mown. The reed fescue is an excellent |
species for growth in woodland pastures |
as it is shade-enduring grass. 1t also ,
commences to green very early in the |
spring.
There are two native winter pasture |
grasses (Phalaris) which have done we'll |
this year, Apache timothy, from New |
Mexico, and a closely related grass that |
Is quite common in the Southern States.
Rescue grass also makes q fine winter
growth. and is now very widely dis
tributed throughout the Southern States.
These grasses are not all important or
prominent during the summer, but by the
time Of the first frost, they commence to
make a rapid growth, continuing green !
through the winter. Then, in early
spring, they throw UP their seed heads
and are ready to cut for hay in April.
but supply excellent grazing a month or
two earlier. Every southern farmer who
keeps dairy cows should plant some of
these early spring grasses in his pasture.
The farmer Of this region has an adj
vantage over the northern farmer in
that his pastures remain green through
out the twelve months of the year. where
as, in the North, cattle must be kept
in the stable and fed dry forage or en-
silage in the cold winter months There
are many excellent pasture grasses and
Of these perhaps the best for winter use
IS rescue grass. IT seeds very freely and
ILLS in the season when the summer
grasses are dead and brown.
IeXas blue grass is another good winter
pasture grass. but it has the disadvantage
mat 1t can only be propagated from !
ne roots, the ripe seeds being cover I
20 with dense wool that makes II i'm ..
possible to sow the seed, even though /.
good quality could be obtained. The
vitality Of the seed of Texas blue grass
s much lower than other grass seeds
angling from in 200 to / in 80. The
'rass' however, has very strong under
round creeping rootstooks. The growth
SLOW, but sure. and If the roots are
et out at intervals IN the pasture land
VIII be found that in the course of two a
II tnree years Texas blue grass will have 4
retty thoroughly taken the ground II c.
s. IKE rescue grass, better as winter q
M early spring pasturage than as a ! d
ummer pasture or hay plant, and IL II a
'ere not for the fact that It must be pro-
agated from the roots. ii would un- N