BEAL ON GRASSES AND FORAGE PLANTS. 21 



SYLLABUS FOR A SHORT COURSE ON ORASSES AND OTHER 



FORAGE PLANTS. 



W. J. REAL, ril. D., AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



As all students of botany tind these plants difficult, it is desirable to 

 place the study in the junior or senior year of the college course. Pre- 

 vious to studying- grasses, the members of the class are expected to have 

 some knowledge of ]>lant histology, physiology, and classification, also 

 of insects and fungi, which are especially injurious to jilants found in 

 grazing lands. A study of meadow weeds is omitted in this connection^ 

 as that subject is placed in another part of the agricultural course.* 



Not less than thirty lessons should be given, nearly half of which 

 should consist of practice in the laboratory. 



In case the subject is taught in winter, we exhibit fine, full-sized 

 specimens of the leading plants nicely pressed and sewed fast to 

 manila paper. We have large pieces of w^ell washed turf of June 

 grass, quack grass, Bermuda grass; sods of several fescues, orchard 

 grass, timothy and others and a grass garden for use during the grow- 

 ing season. I insist that each student shall supply himself with small 

 bottles, for which I supply thirty to fifty named species and varieties 

 of grasses, clovers, and other forage jjlants. They are encouraged to 

 prepare herbaria of a small number of fifteen species of the most 

 prominent forage plants. 



I place most stress on the careful study of about fifteen species, in- 

 cluding their description in accurate terms, rather than on "glittering 

 generalities," such as one not much of a botanist would be likely to give. 

 I induce students to strive very hard that they may be able to identify 

 for certain in various stages of growth a few kinds of grasses, which is 

 more than can be said, even of some teachers of botany or agriculture. 



This part of the work is the key to success in the future and leads to 

 mental growth, without which mental stagnation is likely to follow 

 in a few months. 



As a preliminary test, every student is set to assorting and identifying 

 each species found in mixed hay. 



The Stem: Note the parts of in several grasses. 



a. Those below or on the surface of the ground, root-stocks, 



b. Those above the surface usually erect, branching, sterile shoots, 



c. Bunch grasses, clearly defined and illustrated, timothy, orchard 



grass, sheep's fescue, 



d. Turf grasses, June grass, quack grass, red top, Bermuda grass^ 



e. The structure of the nodes and their behavior in case stems are 



bent down, 



f. The oldest part of an internode. 



* For a Syllabus on weeds, see the Proceedings of the Detroit meeting of the S. P. A. S. 

 held 1897. 



