68 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[March, 



A somewhat extensive examination enables 

 me now to say, and I hope to be able to show, 

 that the Rhode Island Bent is a distinct and valu- 

 able grass which, by a curious fatality, appears 

 to have hitherto escaped recognition and descrip- 

 tion. I am well aware that these light grass 

 seeds may blow from one end of the Continent to 

 the other, and it is not impossible that Rhode 

 Island Bent may be locally grown elsewhere 

 under a different name ; but I find no record of 

 the cultivation of any similar grass. 



At this season it is impossible to furnish a bo- 

 tanical analysis of the plant, but I send to the 

 editor, for his comparison, two bundles, one of 

 Rhode Island Bent and one of Red-top, — winter 

 specimens — furnished me by Charles H. Potter, 

 of Prudence Island, Narragansett Bay, an exten- 

 sive cultivator of Bent. 



The following paragraph from Flint's admirable 

 Treatise on Grasses and Forage Plants, is perhaps 

 responsible for the confusion between these two 

 grasses : 



"This grass [Agrostis vulgaris) is known by 

 various names, and is greatly modified by soil 

 and cultivation. On a moist rich soil it grows 

 larger than on a poor, thin soil ; and not only 

 larger but has a darker, purplish color, with a 

 stem varying from eighteen inches to two and 

 two and a half feet high ; while on poor gravelly 

 soils, it seldom grows over twelve inches, and 

 often not over five or six inches high, while it 

 has a lighter color. In the latter situations it goes 

 by the name of Fine-top, and is universally seen 

 in old, dry pastures. In some sections where it is 

 highly esteemed, it goes by the name of Burden's 

 or Borden's Grass ; in others, of Rhode Island 

 Bent ; but I am unable to discover any difierence 

 between these and Red-top, except that produced 

 by varieties of soils ; and on enquiring of some 

 of the largest dealers in seeds, I find that Orders 

 for all these are supplied from the same seed." 



With this authority before them, it is no reflec- 

 tion upon American seedsmen to say that, when- 

 ever a demand has grown up in any locality for 

 the real Rhode Island Bent, it has been met with 

 a dispensation of Red-top seed, and the genuine 

 grass, therefore, has soon lost whatever footing 

 it has acquired. I shall endeavor to state the 

 points of difference between these grassQs as they 

 appear in cultivation, side by side, in Rhode Is- 

 land, so that this confusion may be no longer 

 possible. 



Both these grasses, as well as Florin and Eng- 

 lish Bent, belong to the genus Agrostis, of which 



Bent Grass is the synonyme ; but, for conven- 

 ience in this paper, the word Bent will be used 

 exclusively to designate the Rhode Island grass. 



Both the Bent and Red-top have perennial, 

 creeping roots ; but, while Red-top does not 

 spread rapidly by the root, the Bent rivals, in 

 this respect, the Couch grass [Triticum repens), 

 forming very soon a densely matted sod. But 

 the stoloniferous roots of the Bent are as numer- 

 ous and' fine as those of the Couch grass are 

 coarse. 



Under the same culture the Bent grass is hard- 

 ly more than two-thirds the height of Red-top, 

 but is heavier bottomed, owing perhaps to the 

 denser sod, or to more numerous or longer leaves. 

 A field of Bent which appears much lighter 

 than one of Red-top, will often give an equal 

 weight of hay. This may be due in part to the 

 greater solidity of the stem of the Bent. Still 

 the average hay crop of Bent is probably less 

 than Red-top. 



The stems of the Bent are also more numerous, 

 as well as more slender, than Red-top. Indeed 

 the Bont is one of the finest, most delicate 

 grasses, in leaf and stem. It makes up for size 

 by number of stalks and blades. 



The blossom of the Bent is softer, more silky, 

 and lighter in color than Red-top, sometimes 

 nearly white. One of its names in Rhode Island 

 is Furze-top. 



The seeds of the Bent are soft and silky to the 

 touch, while the Red-top is comparatively harsh. 

 An experienced dealer informs me that he can 

 distinguish between the varieties, or detect an 

 intermixture of Red-top with Bent, by simply 

 putting his hand into the sack. This is a distinc- 

 tion which may be useful to seedsmen and pur- 

 chasers. 



In Rhode Island, Red-top has no aftermath. 

 The Bent grass, in wide contrast, starts as soon 

 as cut. This is one of its qualifications as a lawn 

 grass. The beauty of the Newport lawns are 

 proverbial. I have heard this ascribed by more 

 than one person to the prevalence of Rhode Is- 

 land Bent, though the climate, resembling the 

 English, must be taken into account. 



The Bent has the reputation of standing 

 drought better than other grasses, and of furnish- 

 ing even then good after-feed, differing in this 

 widely from Red-top. This may be a result of 

 the fineness of the grass and closeness of the sod, 

 preventing evaporation. 



Rhode Island farmers claim much greater 

 sweetness for Bent than for Red-top. The gen- 



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