Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1919-07-05
TALL FEScUE GRASS
HAS I ADVANTAGES
Produces More Feed Than the
Common Meadow Variety
Only Apparent Objection to II ls That
II Does Not Produce Seed Album
dantly-cood Plan to Sow
After Wheat or Oats.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture.1
Tall fescue, an upright, perennial
grass. has advantages over the more
commonly grown meadow fescue,
which it resembles closely. Tests with
the two grasses conducted by the uni
ted States department of agriculture
indicate that the tall fescue produces
more feed and is in general more hardy
or robust. 1t does not appear to be
susceptible to attacks of cat. smut,
which frequently damages the seed
crop of the meadow fescue in Kansas,
Nebraska and Missouri. While some
what coarser it appears to be equally
palatable and nutritious. Apparently
the only objection to it is that it does
not produce seed as abundantly as the
meadow fescue, and the principal rea-
son why it is not more generally grown
is the high price of the seed. Because
the seed is scarce and expensive it is
frequently poor in quality. which Is
accountable for the difficulty expert
enced by some growers in getting q
good stand.
Tall fescue has the undesirable hab-
it of ripening its seed very unevenly,
and this fault, with the fact that Il
sends up few seed-producing stems,
makes the yield light. Fields in north
eastern Kansas which ordinarily yield
u to Is bushels of meadow fescue
seed produce only three to seven BUSH
els an acre of tall fescue. Tests at
Pullman, Wash, indicate that in east
ern Washington seed can be produced
more successfully than in eastern Kan
sas. Planted in rows IS inches apart
and cultivated, yields as high as "a
bushels an acre have been obtained.
In eastern Kansas and Missouri fall
seeding of tall feseue seems to give
the best results, but in sections where
the winters are more severe, and
where there is considerable freezing
and thawing, causing the ground to
heave badly, spring seeding is prefer
able. It is a good practice to SOW on
ground that has been previously in
wheat or oats and which has been
plowed in July or early August. Tall
fescue is also sown successfully in fall
wheat or rye, Seed may be sown Ell
Their broadcast or with a press drill.
the latter method giving the best re-
suits. When a drill is used it is well
to SOW one-half Of the seed each way.
so as to cover the ground more evenly.
A perfect stand is sometimes secured
with about fifteen pounds Of seed an
acre, but 20 to % pounds are recon-
mended under most conditions.
When the meadow is intended pri-
marily as a hay crop the grass is cut
with mower just as it is coming into
bloom. The processes of curing and
stacking are similar to those for tim.
othy and other hay grasses. In har.
vesting the seed crop the grass must
be cut as soon as it begins to take
on a yellowish color, otherwise consid-
cradle seed win be lost through shat.
tering. It is cut with a grain binder
and placed in small shocks to cure
and the thrashing ordinarily is done
directly from the shocks in the field.
An ordinary grain separator can be
used for thrashing by cutting of most
of the blast from the fan. Special
screens are of value, but are not neces-
sary, as a wheat riddle does fairly sat.
isfactory work.