SECRETARY'S REPORT. 53 



renders it very valuable in a country where help is so much 

 wanting ; it will not spoil or suffer, although it stand beyond 

 the common times for mowing. Clover will be lost, in a great 

 measure, if it be not cut in the proper season. Spear-grass, 

 commonly called English grass, if it stands too long, will be 

 little better than rye straw ; if this outstand the time, it is best 

 to let it stand till there comes up a second growth, and then it 

 will do tolerably well ; but this fowl-grass may be mowed any 

 time from July to October. * * * This I wondered at, 

 but viewing some of it attentively, I think I have found the 

 reason of it. When it is grown about three foot high it then 

 falls down, but doth not rot like other grass when lodged ; in a 

 little time after it is thus fallen down, at every joint it puts forth 

 a new branch ; now to maintain tliis young brood of suckers there 

 must be a plentiful course of sap conveyed up through the main 

 stem or straw ; by this means the grass is kept- green and fit for 

 mowing all this long period." 



This grass grows abundantly in almost every part of New 

 England, especially where it has been introduced and cultivated 

 in suitable ground, such as the borders of rivers and' intervals 

 occasionally overflowed. It will not endure to be long covered 

 with water, especially in warm weather. It is well to let a 

 piece go to seed, save the seed and scatter it over low lands. It 

 makes an excellent grass for oxen, cows and sheep, but is 

 thought to be rather fine for horses. It never grows so coarse or 

 hard but that the stalk is sweet and tender and eaten without 

 waste. It is very easily made into hay, and is more nutritive, 

 according to Sinclair, than either foxtail, orchard grass, or tall 

 meadow oat grass. Owing to its constantly sending forth 

 flowering stems, the grass of the lattermath contains more 

 nutritive matter than the first crop at the time of flowering, 

 hence the names fertilis and serotina, fertile and late flowering 

 meadow grass. It thrives best when mixed with other grasses, 

 and deserves a place in all mixtures for rich moist pastures. 



The Creeping Meadow Grass, (^eragrostis reptans,') is fre- 

 quently found on the sandy banks of rivers, and is a beautiful 

 and delicate grass. Flowering in July and August. Its leaves 

 are short, nearly awl-shaped, spikelets smooth, long and lance 

 shaped, flowers acute, sheaths loose, striate and a little hairy on 



