One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture AnsweredWickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Science
One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered
Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Agriculture -- California
Teosinte is a corn-like plant of much lower growth than Indian corn. It
may be of value as a forage plant on low, moist, interior lands in the
summer season. It is very sensitive to frost and is, therefore, not a
winter grower. It abhors drought and, therefore, is not a plant for
plains or hillsides. It was grown to some extent in California 25 years
ago and abandoned as worthless so far as tried.
Bermuda Objectionable.
Bermuda grass as pasture for summer to supplement burr clover and
alfilaria in winter on the cheap hill pasture lands along the coast or
the foothill ranges of the Sierras. Stock like it and do well on it, and
I have noticed it growing in places where it had no water but the little
rains of winter in southern California. So the question occurred to me,
why should it not be a profitable pasture for the dry summers on the
coast or foothill ranges of the State?
Bermuda grass will not make summer growth enough on dry pasture land to
make it worth having. It will not make much growth in the rainy season
because of frost, and if it has possession of the ground it will not
allow either burr clover or alfilaria to make such winter growth as they
will on clean land. Besides, this grass is generally counted a nuisance,
because it will get into all the good cultivated land and it is almost
impossible of eradication. Bermuda grass is of some account on alkali
land where it finds moisture enough for free growth. We would not plant
it in any other situation.
Rye Grasses Better than Brome.
I see in an Eastern seed catalogue "Bromus Inermis" very highly spoken
of as pasturage. Do you know anything of it, and do you think it would
be suitable for reclaimed tule land in the bay section?
Both English and Italian rye grasses have proved better than Bromus
Inermis on such land as you mention. The latter is commonly known as
Hungarian brome grass or awniess brome grass and it was introduced to
this State from Europe about 25 years ago and the seed distributed by
the University Experiment Station. Hungarian brome may be better on
rather dry lands, although it will not live through the summer on very
dry lands in this State, but we would rather trust the rye grasses or
reclaimed lands, providing, of course, that they are sufficiently free
from salt to carry tame grass at all. On the upper coast Hungarian brome
has been favorably reported as an early-winter growing grass with
comparatively low nutritive value, but is especially valuable because it
will grow in poor soil. It is especially suited to sandy pasture and
meadow lands and is quite resistant to drought. It is a perennial grass,
reproducing by a stout rootstock, which makes it somewhat difficult to
eradicate when it is not desired. It is desirable to keep stock off the
fields during the first year to get a good stand.
Black Medic.
Will you kindly name the enclosed; also explain its value as forage!
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