Issued June 23,1910. 
 
 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 FARMERS’ BULLETIN 402. 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS: 
 
 ITS CULTURE AND USES. 
 
 BY 
 
 IN. A. OAKLEY, 
 
 Assistant Agrostologist , Forage-Crop Investigations , 
 Bureau of Plant Industry. 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
 
 1910. 
 
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 
 
 U. S. Department of Agriculture, 
 
 Bureau of Plant Industry, 
 
 Office of tiie Chief, 
 Washington , D. C., April 15, 1910. 
 
 Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith and to recommend for 
 publication as a Farmers’ Bulletin a paper entitled “Canada Blue- 
 grass: Its Culture and Uses,” prepared by Mr. R. A. Oakley, Assistant 
 Agrostologist in the Office of Forage-Crop Investigations of this 
 Bureau, under the direction of the agrostologist in charge. 
 
 The increasing realization of the agricultural value of Canada blue- 
 grass has resulted in a demand for information regarding its habits, 
 uses, and culture. This paper is intended to contain an agronomic 
 discussion of this grass, embodying a description of the method's of 
 culture and utilization now followed, and also some suggestions result¬ 
 ing from experiments conducted by the Bureau of Plant Industry. 
 It is not the intention to justify in any way the practice of using 
 Canada bluegrass as an adulterant of Kentucky bluegrass, since there 
 are no grounds upon which such practice can be excused. 
 Respectfully, 
 
 B. T. Galloway, 
 
 Ch ief of Bureau. 
 
 lion. James Wilson, 
 
 Secretary of Agriculture. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Tage. 
 
 Introduction. 5 
 
 Description of Canada bluegrass. 5 
 
 Uses and value of Canada bluegrass. 8 
 
 Pasture. 8 
 
 Hay. 10 
 
 Miscellaneous uses. II 
 
 Use as a soil binder. 11 
 
 Use for lawns and golf links. 11 
 
 Use on scab lands. 12 
 
 Commercial seed of Canada bluegrass. 12 
 
 Harvesting the seed. 13 
 
 Thrashing the seed. 15 
 
 Cleaning the seed. 15 
 
 Hay of Canada bluegrass from which seed has been thrashed. 1G 
 
 Management of Canada bluegrass in the cropping system. 17 
 
 Seeding. 17 
 
 Breaking up old sod.'. 18 
 
 Summary. 1G 
 
 402 
 
 3 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 rage. 
 
 Fig. 1. A panicle of Canada bluegrass (Poci compressa L.). 6 
 
 2. A typical panicle of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). 7 
 
 3. Pastures of Canada bluegrass. 9 
 
 4. A field of wheat stubble, showing a heavy growth of volunteer Canada 
 
 bluegrass. 10 
 
 5. A field showing a heavy volunteer growth of Canada bluegrass one year 
 
 after a crop of wheat had been harvested. 14 
 
 6. A field showing the sod of Canada bluegrass broken in such a manner 
 
 as to allow this grass to become troublesome in the crop which is to 
 follow. 17 
 
 7. A held of alfalfa, showing how the crop is crowded out by Canada blue¬ 
 
 grass. 18 
 
 402 
 
 4 
 
B. P.I.—574. 
 
 CANADA 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 For several years Canada bluegrass has received considerable 
 attention and has been the subject of more or less adverse comment 
 from agriculturists in general. This has been due largely to the fact 
 that the seed of Canada bluegrass lias been used extensivelv as an 
 adulterant of Kentucky bluegrass, in which role it is very undesirable. 
 The malpractice in connection with its use as an adulterant of Ken¬ 
 tucky bluegrass seed is doubtless responsible for the widespread 
 unfavorable reputation which the grass now holds. This reputation 
 has obtained to such an extent that the good qualities of the grass 
 have been largely overlooked. When an example of a flagrant case 
 of seed adulteration is called for, Canada bluegrass is always cited, 
 and it has become so generally known in this connection that its 
 name is considered by many as almost synonymous with “weed” and 
 “pest.” 
 
 That the grass has undesirable features must be admitted; never¬ 
 theless it is of more economic value in this country at the present 
 time than many of our other cultivated grasses about which much 
 has been said and written. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss 
 Canada bluegrass from an agronomic standpoint, dealing primarily 
 with its utilization and value as a forage grass. 
 
 DESCRIPTION OF CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa L. ) is sometimes called A irginia 
 bluegrass, wire-grass, and various other names, depending largely 
 on the section in which it is grown. In localities where it is very 
 common it is known simply as bluegrass. It differs in general from 
 Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) in shape of stem, shape and 
 color of leaves, and character of seed head, or panicle, 
 or culms are flattened or compressed and bear few leaves. 1 hov aie 
 more nearly solid than those of Kentucky bluegrass and constitute 
 a characteristic by which the grass is readily distinguished. 
 
 402 
 
6 
 
 CANADA BLUEGKASS. 
 
 leaves are a dark bluish-green color, sometimes quite glaucous, and 
 are shorter than those of Kentucky bluegrass and more scantily 
 produced. The seed head, or panicle, is also a reliable distinguishing 
 character, being quite compact and usually shorter than that of 
 
 Kentucky bluegrass. (See figs. 
 
 1 and 2.) 
 
 Canada bluegrass is a very 
 hardy perennial grass and pro¬ 
 duces an abundance of running 
 rootstocks, which make it decid¬ 
 edly aggressive and enable it to 
 form a dense, tough sod. 
 
 Although widely distributed 
 throughout this country and 
 found growing largely without 
 cultivation, Canada bluegrass is 
 considered by many botanists to 
 have been introduced from 
 Europe. If this be true it was 
 undoubtedly introduced at an 
 early date, probably not long 
 after the first settlements. 
 Micheaux collected it in the 
 province of Quebec about 1792, 
 also in other parts of Canada, 
 and in Pennsylvania. Richard- 
 son, while accompanying the 
 Franklin expedition in 1823, 
 found it along the upper Sas¬ 
 katchewan in northwestern Can¬ 
 ada; in fact it was found at an 
 early date widely distributed in 
 isolated locations unfrequented 
 by the white man, which would 
 indicate that it may be a native 
 species. If it is not, its dissem¬ 
 ination after introduction was a 
 remarkably rapid one. 
 
 At present Canada bluegrass 
 is nearly as widely distributed as 
 Kentucky bluegrass, although 
 not so plentiful or important. It is found in the greatest abundance 
 in southern Ontario, Canada, and is also very common in New York, 
 Pennsylvania, and the New England States. In certain sections of 
 Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri, and in fact in 
 
 Fig. 1.—Apanicleof Canada bluegrass (Poacompresa 
 L.). This seed head is longer than the average, 
 hut is typical in other respects. 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 many other States, it is also quite plentiful. In the Pacific North¬ 
 west it seems to be spreading rapidly. Its use as an adulterant of 
 Kentucky bluegrass seed is doubtless responsible to some extent for 
 its wide distribution, but it seems unlikely that it could have become 
 distributed by this 
 means to as great an 
 extent as is generally 
 believed. 
 
 Soils containing con¬ 
 siderable quantities of 
 clay are the type of soil 
 upon which Canada 
 bluegrass is most com- 
 monlv found. On stiff 
 clay soils of low fertility 
 it seems to thrive to 
 a greater degree than 
 any other grass. On 
 the better classes of 
 soils other grasses are 
 usually more than able 
 to hold their own 
 against it. On gravelly 
 clay soils it does well, 
 but on sandy soils it is 
 seldom found in abun¬ 
 dance. It is interest¬ 
 ing to note its behavior 
 in sections favorable to 
 the growth of Ken¬ 
 tucky bluegrass. For 
 example, in parts of 
 Kentucky it is found 
 in pure stands on the 
 sides of cuts and other 
 places where the soil is 
 thin or the subsoil ex¬ 
 posed, while the Ken- r , ,, T ^ 
 
 1 1 . Fig 2.—A typical panicle of Kentucky bluegrass (/ oa pratcnsu 
 
 tucky bluegrass grows 
 
 in pure stands on the good soil immediately adjacent. In giiuia 
 the two grasses are not found intermingled in^ the ><>d, hut <u( 
 in areas by themselves, although frequently the aic.i^ °i ( d 1,1 
 may be very small. The type of soil upon which. ( anada h uegra 
 reaches its greatest perfection in southern Cntaiio end 
 
8 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 York is a clay soil classified by the Bureau of Soils of the United States 
 Department of Agriculture as Dunkirk clay, or Dunkirk clay loam. 
 This series of soils has been formed by the working over of glacial 
 material derived probably from sandstone and clay. 
 
 An equable climate is not an essential factor to the growth of 
 Canada bluegrass. It will withstand the low temperatures of the 
 northern portion of the United States without injury. It is essen¬ 
 tially a plant of the North Temperate Zone, extending far north in 
 Siberia and Canada. Although apparently better able to withstand 
 heat than Kentucky bluegrass, it is not found to any great extent in 
 the Southern States. It is also more drought resistant than Ken¬ 
 tucky bluegrass, but like the latter is practically dormant during the 
 dry periods, coming on again with unimpaired vigor with the advent 
 of rains. Its ability to thrive under adverse conditions makes it a 
 valuable grass. 
 
 USES AND VALUE OF CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 Regardless of the fact that Canada bluegrass is looked upon with 
 disfavor in many localities, it is nevertheless very important. Like 
 some other grasses of this country its value is belittled by the farmer 
 because of its aggressiveness, which makes it a source of more or less 
 constant trouble in some sections. This is generally true throughout 
 the sections in which it is common. 
 
 It is perhaps unfortunate for Canada bluegrass that it should always 
 be considered in comparison with Kentucky bluegrass, which is, 
 broadly speaking, the best of the cultivated pasture grasses in this 
 country. Such comparison has had a tendency to cause its real 
 importance to be overlooked. It is true that the farming sections in 
 the Kentucky bluegrass region are usually much more prosperous 
 than the farming sections in which Canada bluegrass predominates, 
 but nevertheless it is pretty generally true that where Canada blue¬ 
 grass flourishes it is of more value agronomically than Kentucky blue¬ 
 grass or than any other pasture grass would be on the same soil. In 
 other words, Canada bluegrass can not compete with Kentucky 
 bluegrass on good limestone soils, but on poor clay soils it is the more 
 valuable of the two. Notwithstanding the prejudice against it, the 
 practice of seeding it in some localities, notably in Ontario, is slowly 
 but gradually increasing, which is an indication that its value is 
 beginning to be more fully appreciated. 
 
 PASTURE. 
 
 Like Kentucky bluegrass, Canada bluegrass is primarily a pasture 
 grass and is quite palatable to all kinds of live stock, perhaps slightly 
 less so than Kentucky bluegrass, but equal to the average pasture 
 
 402 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 9 
 
 grass, especially if not allowed to become too mature. The high 
 nutritive value of the grass offsets to a certain extent, at least its 
 comparatively low yield and makes it especially desirable for finish¬ 
 ing beef cattle for market. In this connection the practice followed 
 in western New York may be noted. It is a common practice upon 
 farms having both Kentucky bluegrass and Canada bluegrass to 
 graze the cattle that are to be exported in the fall on Kentucky 
 bluegrass pasture during the forepart of the season, and in the latter 
 part of the season to run them on pastures composed mostly of 
 Canada bluegrass. The cattle of course are not kept off the Canada 
 bluegrass pastures entirely during the early part of the season, as 
 this would permit the grass to make a heavy growth unsuited for 
 later grazing. However, the Canada bluegrass pastures are reserved 
 
 Fig. 3.—Pastures of Canada bluegrass. Live stock may be seen grazing on the closely pastured grass in 
 preference to the grass that has been allowed to make a heavy growth. 
 
 for their heaviest grazing until the latter part of the season on ac¬ 
 count of their recognized value for finishing beef cattle for export. 
 
 When given their choice, live stock will graze on the closely pas¬ 
 tured grass in preference to the grass that has been allowed to make 
 a heavy growth. (See fig. 3.) Canada bluegrass can apparent 1) 
 be grazed more closely than other grasses with less ultimate damage, 
 on account of its ability to recover and keep out weeds. 
 
 In certain sections, especially southern Ontario, 'wheat fields af(<i 
 harvest contain such a quantity of Canada bluegrass that m many 
 cases they afford excellent grazing, as the grass which volunteers m 
 the stubble is very palatable. (See fig. 4.) Id midsumnu 1 ; 
 tures often get so dry that they may be burned very readily, 
 fire does not seem to injure them except for the time being. 
 
 40703—Bui. 402—10-2 
 
10 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 favorable weather returns, the grass grows again as vigorously as 
 ever. 
 
 HAY. 
 
 There are comparatively few sections where Canada bluegrass is 
 cut for hay, so that it can hardly bo considered a hay grass. Under 
 very favorable conditions yields of a ton to a ton and a half per 
 acre are secured, but these are exceptions, the average being prob¬ 
 ably not more than one-lialf ton. It is on account of its low yield 
 that it is not utilized as a hay grass, for it makes a very palatable hay 
 and is above the average in feeding value. There is no definite 
 market for the hay, but it has a ready local sale, and at points where 
 it is well known it sells for nearly as high a price as timothy. 
 
 Fig. 4.—A field of wheat stubble, showing a heavy growth of volunteer Canada bluegrass. 
 
 At Fort Erie, Ontario, where a large number of race horses are 
 stabled, Canada bluegrass is much in demand and is considered by 
 the horsemen there to be quite valuable. Liverymen, however, 
 usually prefer timothy, since it is a bulkier hay and can be used more 
 economically in feeding to transient and boarding horses, and also 
 because it can be fed without danger of serious results. Some care 
 must be used in feeding Canada bluegrass hay, as it has a slight 
 tendency to produce colic in horses if fed in large quantities. 
 
 If desired for hay, the grass should be cut a little before it has 
 reached what is known as the “golden” stage. This is the stage at 
 which it is cut for seed, but since it makes a very good hay when cut 
 in the golden stage it is often left until then so that it may be thrashed 
 if seed is desired. 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 11 
 
 When timothy, alsike clover, and Canada bluegrass are grown 
 together, as is commonly the case, the combination makes a hay of 
 excellent quality. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS USES. 
 
 Use as a soil binder.—As a soil-binding grass on cuts and fills along 
 railroads and in similar situations, Canada bluegrass can be used in 
 many sections with good results. In such situations the soil is usually 
 too poor to support a satisfactory growth of other grasses. The 
 aggressiveness of the grass and its tough sod-forming habit make it 
 of great value in preventing erosion. 
 
 Use for lawns and golf links.—Where Kentucky bluegrass can be 
 grown with a reasonable degree of success Canada bluegrass can not 
 be recommended as a lawn grass. The two grasses do not blend well, 
 as in general they grow in patches by themselves, and because of the 
 distinctly different color they make the lawn somewhat unsightly in 
 this respect at least. They can, however, be used to advantage in 
 combination in some cases, as, for example, on poor clay and gravel 
 soils which become at times extremely dry. When used for either 
 lawns or golf links Canada bluegrass should be kept very closely 
 clipped, as otherwise it gets very wiry and makes a turf of poor tex¬ 
 ture. Unfortunately, when kept closely clipped it presents what 
 might be called a dirty appearance, lacking that rich green color which 
 makes Kentucky bluegrass so valuable. 
 
 It is hardly possible to make definite recommendations regarding 
 the proportion of Canada bluegrass seed to be used in mixtures with 
 other lawn grasses. Unless the soil is very poorly adapted to Ken¬ 
 tucky bluegrass a mixture containing more than 10 per cent of Canada 
 
 bluegrass seed is not advised. 
 
 Due to its superior resistance to drought and extended periods of 
 hot weather, Canada bluegrass can doubtless be used farther south 
 than Kentucky bluegrass. An agriculturist who has made a careful 
 study of conditions in the Southern States for many years writes: 
 
 Canada bluegrass has been noted somewhat abundantly in pastures and lawns in 
 Alabama and Mississippi, probably having been introduced as an impurity in the seed 
 of Kentucky bluegrass. Wherever observed in that region it has been superior to 
 Kentucky bluegrass on account of-its better resistance to the effects of drought and 
 long-continued hot weather. There have been no attempts to grow this gras;- 
 itself, but the occasional patches and single plants which have been observed lmld 
 their own so well on dry clay soils that it appears well worth an extended test under 
 such conditions. 
 
 These statements should in nowise be construed 
 practice of using Canada bluegrass as an adulterant 
 bluegrass for lawn purposes or for any other purpose. 
 
 to justify the 
 of Kentucky 
 As is pointed 
 
 402 
 
12 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 out, a combination of these grasses is advantageous only in a very 
 few cases. When the purchaser really desires a mixture he should 
 know definitely the proportions of each species in order that he may 
 use them intelligently. 
 
 Use on scab lands. —In the northwestern portion of this country, 
 especially in the States of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, there are 
 large areas of thin land where the underlying basalt frequently out¬ 
 crops. These areas are called scab lands. The basalt is in many 
 places entirely exposed or covered only with a very thin layer of soil. 
 During the past few years Canada bluegrass has been tested on these 
 lands and has proved quite promising. It seems more nearly adapted 
 to the unfavorable conditions which exist in such sections than any 
 of our other cultivated grasses. Its spreading, in some cases unas¬ 
 sisted, is evidence of its adaptability. It is not believed that Canada 
 bluegrass will make a heavy growth on these scab lands, but it is 
 believed that in many sections it will prove profitable, inasmuch as 
 it will at least furnish more and better grazing than the native 
 vegetation. 
 
 COMMERCIAL SEED OF CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 In its natural condition the seed of Canada bluegrass is readily dis¬ 
 tinguished from that of Kentucky bluegrass by the absence of the 
 web of hairs at the base of the flowering glume, as well as by several 
 less distinct characters. The color and shape of the seed differ in the 
 two species, the color of the Canada bluegrass seed being usually a 
 lighter shade of brown than that of Kentucky bluegrass, and the apex 
 of the seed of the former having a tendency to be obtuse, while that 
 of the latter is quite acute. 
 
 To distinguish between the commercial seeds of the two species is, 
 however, quite a difficult matter. The thrashing and rubbing inci¬ 
 dent to the preparation of Kentucky bluegrass seed for the market 
 removes the webby hairs and breaks the tips of the seeds in such a 
 manner that they resemble those of Canada bluegrass very closely. 
 The resemblance is so close that only those accustomed to handling 
 both species can distinguish between them without making a critical 
 examination. This has made the practice of using seed of Canada 
 bluegrass as an adulterant of Kentucky bluegrass a comparatively 
 easy matter. 
 
 The viability of commercial Canada bluegrass seed is much higher 
 than that of Kentucky bluegrass seed. This fact is largely due to the 
 methods used in harvesting and curing, descriptions of which will be 
 given later. The average germination of Canada bluegrass seed is 
 about 85 per cent and is reasonably constant, while the average of 
 Kentucky bluegrass is only about 45 per cent and is so unreliable in 
 
 402 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 13 
 
 this respect that it is extremely unadvisable to buy or sow the seed 
 without first testing its vitality thoroughly. 
 
 The difference in the methods of harvesting the two species of 
 bluegrass is also responsible for the difference in price. While the 
 difference in price varies considerably from year to year, depending 
 on the supply and certain conditions of trade, Kentucky bluegrass 
 seed usually sells for about 5 to 7 cents a pound more than Canada 
 bluegrass seed. 
 
 Practically all of the Canada bluegrass seed used in this country 
 is grown in the province of Ontario, Canada. The average importa¬ 
 tions for the years 1907, 1908, and 1909 have been approximately 
 050,000 pounds annually. While the seed is advertised in the trade 
 as such, it may be stated with certainty that not more than 15 per 
 cent of the quantity imported is sold to the ultimate consumer as 
 Canada bluegrass, the remainder being used in varying proportions 
 to adulterate Kentucky bluegrass seed. The increasing interest in 
 pure seed is doubtless now having much to do in decreasing this 
 harmful practice. 
 
 Attempts have been made by certain seedsmen to explain the 
 presence of Canada bluegrass seed in commercial seed of Kentucky 
 bluegrass on the ground that the former occurs commonly in fields 
 of the latter; consequently the two are harvested together. It is 
 true that some Canada bluegrass is found in the fields of Kentucky 
 bluegrass harvested for seed, but since the former matures so much 
 later than the latter there is no chance of mature seed of it becoming 
 mixed with Kentucky bluegrass seed in this manner. A small 
 amount of chaff from very immature seed of Canada bluegrass may 
 be present, but even this is not common, since the Kentucky blue¬ 
 grass seed if properly cleaned will have most of this material removed. 
 In seed of Canada bluegrass, however, it is quite common to find 
 Kentucky bluegrass seed, as some of the seed of the latter remains 
 in the head sufficiently long after maturity to permit the harvesting 
 of the two together. 
 
 HARVESTING THE SEED. 
 
 Harvesting the seed of Canada bluegrass is a comparatively simple 
 matter. Strippers are not employed to strip the seed as in the case 
 of Kentucky bluegrass, since the character of the seed makes this 
 unnecessary. The webby hairs at the base of the seed of Kentucky 
 bluegrass, which make harvesting and thrashing by ordinary means 
 impracticable, are absent from Canada bluegrass seed. Ibis allows 
 the latter to be harvested in much the same manner as timothy, 
 
 orchard grass, meadow fescue, and redtop. 
 
 The grass is considered ready to cut for seed when it has readied 
 what is known as the “golden” stage, or when the seed has a deep 
 
 402 
 
14 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 yellow color. This is a few days after it lias reached the stage best 
 suited for hay and occurs ordinarily from about July 10 to 15 in the 
 northern portion of the United States. The seed crop is handled 
 prior to thrashing in the same manner as hay. Since the grass is a 
 little drier at the time of cutting for seed than at the time of cutting 
 for hay it can be put up in shocks very soon after mowing. Grass 
 cut in the morning may be put in shocks in the evening without 
 danger of damage if the weather is favorable. It is desirable to put 
 it in shocks as soon after cutting as possible to prevent the seed from 
 shattering, since if left in the swath to cure it will shatter badly. 
 Only a few days are necessary for curing in the shock, after which the 
 grass is either stacked in ricks or barns or thrashed from the field. 
 
 Fig. 5.—A field showing a heavy volunteer growth of Canada bluegrass one year after a crop of v/heat had 
 
 been harvested. 
 
 Whether a field of Canada bluegrass is harvested, for seed depends 
 on the price of hay, the price of seed, and the yield'which it will 
 probably give. When hay is at a high price and seed only normal or 
 below, only the fields that will give heavy yields are harvested for 
 seed. These are usually new fields, as such almost invariably give 
 higher yields of seed than those which have been down three or more 
 years. Fields that have been allowed to lie four or more years 
 ordinarily do not produce a sufficient quantity of seed to pay to 
 thrash. An old field may yield a good crop of hay and still may not 
 produce a paying crop of seed, as the seed heads produced are usually 
 short and not well filled. The best fields of seed are often those that 
 have volunteered on wheat stubble sowed with clover which failed 
 to catch. Remarkably heavy stands of Canada bluegrass commonly 
 
 402 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 15 
 
 occur under such conditions the year following the removal of the 
 small-grain crop. (See fig. 5.) There are frequently considerable 
 quantities of timothy and white and alsike clover in fields which are 
 harvested for seed, but these do not interfere with the harvesting or 
 the preparation of the Canada bluegrass seed for the market. 
 
 THRASHING THE SEED. 
 
 Canada bluegrass is thrashed by the ordinary thrashing machine 
 either from the shock in the field shortly after harvesting or from the 
 stack or barn during the fall or winter. No modification of the 
 machine is necessary so far as the cylinder and concaves are con¬ 
 cerned, but special screens are needed to put the seed in condition 
 where it can be handled with a cleaning machine. No attempt, 
 however, is made to clean the seed for market by means of the 
 thrashing machine. 
 
 Considerable quantities of Canada bluegrass seed are secured from 
 wheat at the time of thrashing, as the grass volunteers in wheat 
 fields and is harvested with the wheat. This seed is saved by placing 
 a screen in the bottom of the thrasher in such a manner as to separate 
 it from the chaff and coarse inert material. On account of the grass 
 being bound into bundles with the wheat it cures in ideal condition, 
 and the seed at the time of thrashing is usually of excellent color and 
 quality. 
 
 CLEANING THE SEED. 
 
 Seed as it comes from the thrashing machine is usually reasonably 
 free from coarse inert matter, but is not in sufficiently good condition 
 for the market. No difficulty, however, is experienced in cleaning 
 it with a cleaning mill of the ordinary type. There are usually one 
 or more farmers or retail seed dealers in each neighborhood equipped 
 to clean the seed and act as middlemen between the growers and 
 wholesale dealers. 
 
 With a cleaning machine of the type known commonly as a fanning 
 mill and by the use of a one-twelfth-inch perforated screen above 
 and a one-thirty-sixth-inch screen below and with a small amount 
 of blast it is possible to reduce the percentage of inert matter to at 
 least 5 per cent and that of the foreign seed, including weeds, to 6 per 
 cent. The actual quantity of weed seed can be reduced to one-half 
 of 1 per cent with very little loss of good seed and without requiiing 
 much time. The weed seeds most difficult to remove are cinquefoil 
 (Potentilla monspeliensis L.), five-finger (Potentitya canadensis h.), 
 red sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.), false flax (Camelina microcaipa 
 Andrz.), mayweed (Anthemis cotula L.), and huckhorn (/ lamufj-' 
 lanceolata L.). It does not seem practicable by means of present 
 
 402 
 
16 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 methods and machinery to reduce the total percentage of weed seed 
 much below one-half of 1 per cent. The remaining percentage of 
 foreign seeds is composed mostly of timothy, alsike clover, and 
 Kentucky bluegrass, the last named often running as high as 1 per 
 cent. 
 
 Some seedsmen are using mills especially constructed for cleaning 
 the seed. These mills are usually built in two parts, one called the 
 rougher and the other the cleaner, or finisher. The rougher is used 
 to remove the coarse, inert matter, and the finisher to remove the 
 timothy, alsike, white clover, and various weed seeds which may be 
 present. 
 
 On this type of machine no blast is used, but the riddles are usually 
 more than twice as long as the ordinary screen, thus giving a much 
 greater screening surface. By the use of such machines excellent 
 work can be done in the way of cleaning, with probably less loss than 
 with the fanning mill. The time required, however, in cleaning seed 
 with a machine of this kind is much greater than it is where the 
 blast is used. Seeds of timothy and alsike clover, which are com¬ 
 monly harvested with Canada bluegrass, are usually separated from it. 
 Special attention is paid to separating the alsike clover, as it is more 
 valuable than the grass seed. Farmers or seedsmen who make a 
 practice of cleaning seed buy it from the growers either on the basis 
 of clean seed or at a flat rate. The former practice, however, is more 
 common. 
 
 The yield of seed per acre varies considerably, and it is extremely 
 difficult to estimate the average. While it is possible to secure 
 yields of 500 pounds per acre if conditions are favorable, the average 
 yield does not exceed 200 pounds. It is estimated that a ton of hay 
 upon which the seed is normally abundant will yield about 250 
 pounds. The recognized weight of seed per bushel is 14 pounds. 
 The actual weight, however, of good seed is more than 20 pounds per 
 bushel. 
 
 It is evident that a Canada bluegrass seed crop is not very profit¬ 
 able, since the average gross returns hardly exceed $10 per acre. 
 Deducting the cost of handling, including thrashing and cleaning, this 
 will not leave a large profit. However, the seed usually sells readily, 
 and for this reason it is grown by farmers even though the profit 
 is small. 
 
 HAY OF CANADA BLUEGRASS FROM WHICH SEED HAS BEEN 
 
 THRASHED. 
 
 There is much difference of opinion in regard to the value of 
 Canada bluegrass straw after the seed has been thrashed out. Some 
 state that it is even more valuable than the hay, as it has the chaff 
 
 402 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 17 
 
 removed. However, it is generally considered less valuable than the 
 hay, chiefly because it is cut at the stage of maturity which is a little 
 too far in advance of the best stage for hay. If the straw is care¬ 
 fully stacked, however, it makes a good feed for both cattle and 
 horses. 
 
 MANAGEMENT OF CANADA BLUEGRASS IN THE CROPPING 
 
 SYSTEM. 
 
 SEEDING. 
 
 Little can be said regarding the management of Canada bluegrass in 
 the cropping system in most sections, as it is utilized almost entirely for 
 grazing and consequently does not enter into or influence the system 
 
 Fig. 6.—A field showing the sod of Canada bluegrass broken in such a manner as to allow this grass to become 
 
 troublesome in the crop which is to follow. 
 
 of crop rotation to any great extent. In sections, however, where it is 
 grown for hay or seed it is a more important factor m crop rotation. 
 
 There is comparatively little Canada bluegrass intentionally 
 seeded, although there is without doubt more being seeded now than 
 formerly. Farmers who have seeded the grass recommend the sowing 
 of about 15 pounds of seed to the acre in the early spring on wheat, 
 for although the grass volunteers readily in wheat fields the addition 
 of seed practically insures a perfect stand the first year following the 
 wheat crop. This practice applies to sections where the grass occurs 
 commonly. In sections where it does not grow naturally in abun¬ 
 dance, heavier seeding is recommended. 
 
 402 
 
18 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 BREAKING UP OLD SOD. 
 
 When it becomes desirable to break up old sod it can be done most 
 satisfactorily in the fall by plowing rather shallow and turning the 
 sod completely. This smothers the grass quite effectually and at the 
 same time exposes the roots pretty thoroughly, thus facilitating de¬ 
 composition. 
 
 The sod is not hard to put in condition for a cultivated crop, and 
 corn is probably the best crop to plant the spring after breaking up 
 an old meadow or pasture. A common practice of breaking the sod 
 by plowing a narrow furrow and turning on edge is thought by some 
 of the best farmers to be responsible for a great deal of the difficulty 
 experienced in keeping the grass in subjection on cultivated lands. 
 When broken in this manner, the grass appears in rows as far apart as 
 
 Fig. 7.—A field of alfalfa, showing how the crop is crowded out by Canada bluegrass. 
 
 the width of the furrow and gets a good start before the field is har- 
 rowed or disked, and it is almost impossible to keep it out of the crop 
 that follows. (See fig 6.) Farmers who break the sod by plowing 
 a 10-inch to 14-inch furrow and turning it completely have very little 
 trouble with the grass after breaking, especially if a disk harrow is 
 used immediatelv after the sod is broken. 
 
 On account of the aggressiveness of Canada bluegrass its trouble¬ 
 some features can not be overlooked. It is certainly a decided menace 
 in alfalfa fields, as it takes advantage of every opportunity to estab¬ 
 lish itself at the expense of the alfalfa. In Ontario large patches of 
 Canada bluegrass are common in fields of alfalfa. (See fig. 7.) In 
 most cases this is due to the fact that the field is poorly drained in 
 such areas. In places where water stands on the field or ice is formed 
 during the winter so that the alfalfa is killed or injured, Canada blue¬ 
 grass is always at hand to establish itself on the bare spots. The 
 
 402 
 
CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 19 
 
 filling in of the vacant areas is an advantage rather than otherwise 
 but the crowding out of partially injured stands of alfalfa by the grass 
 is decidedly detrimental. 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 Canada bluegrass has the same general distribution as Kentucky 
 bluegrass, but is not so abundant. It is of the most importance in the 
 New England States, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Vir¬ 
 ginia, and in southern Ontario in Canada. It is also common in parts 
 of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. It is found in the greatest 
 abundance on various types of clay soil. 
 
 It can readily be distinguished from Kentucky bluegrass in a field 
 by its dark-blue color, short leaves, flattened stem, and short, com¬ 
 pact seed head. 
 
 Canada bluegrass is of value chiefly as a pasture grass and makes 
 good grazing for all kinds of farm stock, especially beef and dairy 
 cattle. The quality of hay produced is good, but the yield is not 
 sufficiently high to make it of much value for this purpose. 
 
 As a soil-binding grass it is of considerable value on clay embank¬ 
 ments, since it establishes itself readily and makes a tough sod that 
 resists erosion. 
 
 Canada bluegrass should be used as a lawn grass only under few 
 conditions, as it does not make a turf of good texture. On some clay 
 soils it can be used to advantage either alone or in mixtures with 
 other lawn grasses. It can also be used to advantage in some sec¬ 
 tions on golf links. 
 
 Seed of Canada bluegrass is harvested and thrashed in practically 
 the same manner as timothy, orchard grass, or red top, and for this 
 reason it sells for much lower prices than Kentucky bluegrass. On 
 account of the close resemblance between seed of Canada bluegrass 
 and Kentucky bluegrass and also on account of the cheapness of the 
 former, it is used very extensively as an adulterant of the latter. 
 Most of the seed sold in this country is grown in lower Ontario, large 
 quantities being imported each year. 
 
 Little difficulty is experienced in cleaning the seed of Canada 
 bluegrass for market. By use of the ordinary fanning mill the 
 quantity of inert matter can be reduced to at least 5 per cent and the 
 weed seed to one-half of 1 per cent with very little loss of good seed. 
 
 The hay or straw from which seed is thrashed makes a very good 
 roughage for live stock if properly handled, but is less valuable than 
 the hay before thrashing. 
 
 Canada bluegrass volunteers readily, and chiefly for this n’iison 
 there is very little seed sown. Where seeding is practiced, 1 •> pounds 
 402 
 
20 
 
 CANADA BLUEGRASS. 
 
 or more per acre are recommended to be sown in the early spring on 
 wheat. 
 
 When it becomes desirable to break up old sod it can be done to 
 best advantage by plowing in the fall rather shallow and turning the 
 furrow completely. This smothers the grass and ‘at the same time 
 exposes the roots to the action of the frost. Corn is probably the 
 best crop to grow on sod land. 
 
 [A list giving the titles of all Farmers’ Bulletins available for distribution will be 
 sent free upon application to any Member of Congress or the Secretary of Agriculture.] 
 
 402 
 
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