BEAL ON MICHIGAN FLORA. 23 



which, having uudergoue extreme ghiciation, bears the marks of it in tlic 

 extreme poverty of its flora, and in the absence of the plants to which its 

 southern j)ortiou, extending six degrees below the arctic circle, might be 

 entitled. It ought to have trees, and might support them. But since 

 destruction by giaciation, no way has been o])en for tiieir return. 



"In the American continent the mountains run north and south. The 

 trees, when touched on the north by the on-coming refrigeration, had only 

 to move their southern border southward, along an open way. and there 

 was no impediment to their due return. So our lines have been cast in 

 pleasant places, and the goodl}^ heritage of forest trees is one of the 

 consequences." 



NATIVE FORAGE PLANTS. 



The native grasses while young, from early spring to winter, without 

 exception, furnish a tender bite which is very acceptable to all sorts of 

 horses, cattle, sheep, and even swine and poultry. Most of the native 

 grasses (about 120 in number) grow in isolated bunches, more or less fre- 

 quent, and furnish but little food, while a considerable portion soon 

 become unpalatable as the summer approaches. The most important 

 native grasses for pasture or meadow are found in open places and are : 

 June grass (not native), fowl meadow-grass, and several other species of 

 Poa which have no well-known common name; several manna-grasses 

 [Panicularia] ; a few small fescues, two or three Eatonias; blue-joint, two 

 or three small redtops. and several species of Muhlenberg's grass, two or 

 three kinds of mountain rice, reed-grass, two beard-grasses, and several 

 panic grasses. The following, though quickly and thoroughly dissemi- 

 nated, are not native to our State : Barn-yard grass, crab-grass, foxtail or 

 pigeon-grass, sweet vernal-grass, Timothy, meadow foxtail, the larger red- 

 top so popular for lowlands, tall oat-grass, orchard grass, tall fescue, 

 perennial rye-grass, quick-grass. 



Besides the true grasses, there are about one hundred and eighty species 

 of grass-like plants mostly found on marshes, which are called sedges. 

 They are mostly confounded with the grasses except by the botanist. In 

 addition to these are some twenty-five other narrow-leaved and grass- 

 like plants known as 7'ushes which furnish more or less herbage. Many 

 of the sedges and rushes make hay of fair quality Avhen cut early before 

 they become harsh and woody. 



On the Jack-pine plains and in many other portions of the sandy stump- 

 lands in the northern counties are two species of sedges found abundantly 

 on dry land. These are Varcx PciDisi/lranica Lam., and 0. vmhclktta 

 vicina Dewey; they are popularly called grasses by the residents of those 

 counties. Inquiries have frequently been made concerning the name, and 

 statements made to the effect that they were very nutritious and that 

 cattle got fat on them early in the spring. So far as I have observed, 

 cattle prefer something else as it starts in spring, thus leaving the sedges 

 untouched to grow all summer and remain green under the snow till the 

 following spring. In spring the cattle eagerly devour the last year's 

 gi'owth of the sedges and thrive on it. This is but another evidence that 

 the quality of the fodder is not of so great importance, provided animals 

 can get enough of it. and can be induced to eat it. 



Besides the native grasses, sedges and rushes, there are great numbers of 

 other herbaceous plants, usually one here and there which are eaten by 



