Rye Grasses Better Than Brome

Categories: Grains and Forage Crops

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

thi 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.