SECRETARY'S REPORT. 



113 



of carex grow on sandy hills and along the sea shore, hut most 

 inhabit marshes, wet meadows, swamps, and the low, wet banks 

 of streams and ditches, and moist woods. Somewhat over a 

 hundred species are found in New England. None of them are 

 of any real agricultural value, though they constitute mainly 

 what we term " meadow hay," or more properly swale hay, in 

 eastern Massachusetts. They are nearly destitute of mealy and 

 saccharine principles in which many of the true grasses abound, 

 and are eaten by cattle only when compelled by hunger, in 

 the want of better grasses. It not unfrequently happens, 

 however, that there is an admixture of the higher grasses 

 among the carices or sedges, such as the fowl meadow, the 

 bastard fowl meadow, the white top or some of the other species 

 possessing higher nutritive qualities, and then, of course, the 

 hay made from the swale is proportionably improved, and may 

 thus become of considerable value for winter- fodder. 

 The Sedges are arranged in the following table : — 



Table IV. List of Carices or Sedges, ( Cyperacem^ 



15* 



