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Rural School Leaflet 



ONE GRASS, ONE CLOVER. AND ONE GRAIN FOR IDENTIFICATION 



IN 1913-1916 



Pail J. White 



KENTUCKY BLUE CRASS 



• Although Kentucky blue grass is not the most ini- 



ix)rtant grass in this State, it is one of the most common. 



It grows wherever the soil is good and the land has not 



been plowed for a number of years. Farmers seldom 



*^ sow this gi-ass, yet it is nearly always present in old 



meadows and pastures. In fact, it is the most valuable 



pasture grass that there is in the State. It comes in 



naturally if a field is left to itself; of course, if it is sown 



it will appear much more quickly. It is the grass most 



used for lawns. 



Blue grass may be distinguished from other grasses by 

 the leaf. If the end of the leaf be examined, it will be 

 found to be closed; that is, the edges of the leaf comiC 

 together at the end, forming what is known as a keel- 

 shaped leaf. The end of the leaf resembles the keel of a 

 boat. If the end of the blue grass leaf is smoothed out by 

 drawing the leaf between thumb and finger, the leaf wiU 

 sjilit, and a notch will be formed at the end. 



When in blossom, blue grass is distinct from other 

 grasses with the exception of redtop. But as blue grass 

 blossoms three or four weeks before redtop, there is little 

 danger of confusing the two. Blue grass blossoms in 

 June, while redtop does not blossom until July. The 

 illustration shows a good specimen of blue grass. 



It would be a good plan to have the children bring into 

 the schoolroom as many grasses as they can find, and see 

 whether they can distinguish the blue grass by the descrip- 



Keiitucky blue 

 grass 



tion here given. 



RED CLOVER 



Red clover is one of the most valuable plants to the fanner in New York 

 State. It is vakiable because it is so useful for making hay and for pas- 

 tures, and also because it greatly improves any soil in wliich it grows. 

 It may be found in almost any part of the State, yet it must have fairly 

 good soil in order to grow well. 



Red clover is so common that it scarcely seems necessary to describe 

 the plant. There are two kinds grown in this vState: one is known as 

 medium red, which is the ordinary kind; the other is called mammoth. 



