4
PASTURE I IMPROVEMENT STUDIES
IIATAMUSKA VALLEY EXPERIMENT
STATION
The following article Is a report on the
pasture brasses at the Experiment Station
especially the grass plots inspected on
Field Day. This article is submitted for
the benefit of those inquiring for fur
ther information.
In 1038 eight varieties of grasses and
two of clover v’ere seeded in plots '’or
experimental growths. They are ns follows:
Chewings Fescue, Smooth Drome, Perennial
Eye Grass, Cultivated Rod Top, Timothy,
Crested Wheat Grass, White Clover and
Alsike Clover. Because cf the dry season
plantings wer0 not made until August G.
The wet Fall allowed the seed1ngc to be
come well established. Brcme and Peren
nial Eye Grass made a Six-Inch growth
before freeze up. Chewings Fescue, Crest
ed Wheat Grass, Red Top and Alsike showed
only fair stands and very short growth.
1939 Spring inspection of various grasses
growing, showed the following average
percentage winter survival:
C. Fescue — <37; Smooth Brome - 96; deed’s
Canary - 72; Kentucky 31ue Grass - 95;
Crested Wheat Grass -93; Both Alsike and
White Clover - dead.
Grimm Alfalfa made n season’s growth of
Ten inches but wns yellow and unthrifty
in color. Fairway Crested V/hcat Grass
showed a Ton to Twelve Inch season's growth
with an excellent stand and good vigor.
All grasses which lived through the winter
made good growth in 1339. Thoy were cut
in early duly and late September. Average
yields for two cuttings per acres were as
follows: Timothy - 2598 lb.; Bromc -
2544 lb.; Bed Top - 858 lb.; Crested Wheat
Crass - 1360 lb.; Kentucky Blue Crass -
678 lb.; Reed’s Canary - 846 lb.; Chewings
Fescue - 300 lb.
Those grasses were permitted to make a
third growth and went into the winter in
good condition.
One plot was seeded to the following mix
ture: Reed Canary Grass - Zjf, Red Top -
2$; Chewings Fescue - 1 White Clover 2-jf
and Alsikc Clever 3$. This mixture made a
vigorous thick growth of Ten Inches for the
season. By the growth on the ground it was
estimated that this mixture would pro
vide at least One-Third more pasture
than any of the plots seeded singly.
Another plot which gave an equally vigor
ous growth consisted of seed as fellows:
Brorac - 3;y, Timothy - 3#* Chewing Fescue
- 3f~t Russian Rod Clover 3# and Vihitc
Clever - o/r.
In m: xir.g clovers with other grasses it
seems the added protection helps con
siderably to prevent winter-killing of
the clovers.
Throe varieties of yellow-flowered
alfalfa wore seeded. To date yellow
flowered a]fa1fa ha- been the only kind
to survive the winters year after year.
No seed is available for distribution
as yet,
The following legumes were sown, all of
■which, v/hen sown singly,wintor-killed :
Wh.itc Clover, Red Clever, Ladac Alfalfa,
Cossack Alfalfa, Grimm Alfalfa and a
purple-flowered alfalfa which had been
growing scvoral years at the Station in
a protected spot.
Grasses sewn in nursery reras in 1938
survived as followr : Kentucky Blue,
Brone, and Crested Ahoat - 100,English
Blue Gras.-, Chewing Fescue, Red Top,
Rood’s Canary and lied on Foxtail - O'J,';
r°rennir.l Vetch - GC(1j Orchard Grass,
Bulbous Eiuo and Hungarian Bent -
5%; all others sovm died entirely.
Eight 1-acrc plots seeded in 1938 crime
through the v/intcr as follows : Alsikc,
V.'hite Clove", Rye Grass - dead; Drone,
Kentucky Blue and Common V«rhnat grass -
only slightly danaged, Reed’s Canary
and Chewing Fescue survived OCfo on lw
ground but entirely dead on ridges.
Because of the now sccdings in 1939,
cattle were not permitted to graze on any
of the acre plots until August 10. In
order of their apparent palatability to
cattl-, the five grasses would stand as
follows: Kentucky Blue ---Chewings Fescue
- Crested ’.Vhent Grass - E^ome - Reed’s
Canary,
Kentucky Blue Grass yielded the largest
amount of pasture, Chewing Fescue, a bunch
grass, had not stooled enough to cover the
(continued on next pose.)