1915~\ Winter Grasses at Chapel Hill 157 



on the weather. In the spring of 1914, which was quite dry, 

 it disappeared before the first of June, reappearing again 

 in September, In damp, cold springs it will live well into 

 June. It is peculiar in its requirements, seeming to prefer 

 hard, bare, open places and it does not mind being trampled 

 by man or animals. It occurs on walks and road margins, 

 in waste places and to some extent in lawns, as on the 

 campus. The best turf of Poa annua in Chapel Hill is in 

 front of the poultry houses and west of the cow barn on 

 Glenn Burnie Farm. The turf it forms is exceedingly close 

 and fine, and the growth is so short that it requires little or 

 no mowing. If it would only last through the summer, it 

 would make an ideal lawn. As it is, however, it is rarely 

 planted, and the seed are hard to get in the trade. It is used 

 to some extent to help the winter sod of putting greens, and 

 would be fine in its season for terraces, grassed walks, 

 courts, etc. 



Sweet Verxal Grass { Antlioxanihum odoratum). 



This is a strongly bunched, early maturing grass that is 

 fond of cold weather and docs most of its growing in winter 

 and spring. By the middle of March it is 4-6 inches high, 

 even in our colder winters, and it forms most of the first 

 spring cutting in more shaded parts of the campus and in 

 many of our shaded lawns that are not mowed often. In 

 more open lawns and those that are mowed frequently it is 

 scarce, apparently not liking the sun or the lawn mower. On 

 account of its densely tufted habit it is not a desirable lawn 

 grass, but for groves and parks and meadows where the mow- 

 ing is not frequent or close it is an agreeable constitutent on 

 account of its very pleasant vanilla odor when cut and also 

 for its ability to stand much shade and make a green show in 

 winter. We recommend it as one of the ingredients for sow- 

 ing all shaded places not closely mowed. 



Kentucky Blue Grass (Poa pratensis). 



Blue grass is the best lawn grass to be had where it can 

 be made to flourish. It does not like hot dry weather or poor 

 soil, and we have to treat it with special care to entice it to 



