Tennessee is for pasturage, because of its earliness and the rapidity of its 

 growth, resembling in these particulars orchard grass. It excels timothy 

 for pastures as much as timothy excels it for hay. Like most grasses its 

 greatest nutritive value is attained when in full bloom. When cut at that 

 period it loses over 70 per cent, in drying and contains when green 4.32 

 per cent, of albuminoids as against 3.79 per cent, for timothy cut at the 

 same stage. 



One great drawback to the introduction of this grass is the length of 

 time (three to four years) it requires to be firmly established, but it is 

 well adapted to permanent pastures and many mountain districts in the 

 state could be greatly benefited by its introduction. It is a long liver, a 

 quick grower, and furnishes a very nutritious and palatable herbage. It 

 requires about three bushels of seed to the acre to insure a good stand 

 but it is best to sow it with other grasses. The land may be prepared 

 and the seed sown in the fall. In the moist climate of the Unaka moun- 

 tains it may be sown either in the spring or fall. The plant at first is 

 very feeble and should only form one of the grasses in a pasture. After 

 two or three years it makes the principal grass. 



Mr. Taunton, of England, thus speaks of its durability and good 

 qualities: 



'Tn the dry soil, in the course of seven or eight years, it became 

 much weakened; but in a meadow on the clay with a dark moory mould 

 on the surface, it maintained its size, frequently as well or better than any 

 other grass; and where I had sown it on deep loamy sand where springs 

 rise, there its produce was extremely luxuriant, insomuch, that I, this 

 year, sold the crop standinsr at the rate of 8 pounds sterling ($40) per 

 acre. No manure had ever been given to this land since the grass seeds 

 were sown seven years ago. other than the irregular irrigation produced 

 by the winter springs; yet it most completely covered the ground. One 

 character particularly attracted my attention; namely, that although it 

 stood late in the summer — not having been cut until late in July, and after 

 the seed had fully ripened — none of the lower leaves had decayed or with- 

 ered, whereas those of the cock's-foot and fescue and some others were 

 quite dead. This experiment proves to what a valuable purpose any tract 

 of springy, moist, loamy sand may be converted by sowing it down with 

 a selection of grasses, in which the foxtail should predominate. 



This grass must not be confounded with the foxtail (sctaria viridis) 

 that springs up in the fields of Tennessee after oat and wheat harvest. 

 This foxtail is nothing but a troublesome weed. 



TALL MEADOW FESCUE— RANDALL GRASS— EVERGREEN 

 GRASS — {Festuca elaiior yar. pratensis.) — (Meadow and Pasture.) 



This is a most valuable grass and well suited to many of the soils of 

 Tennessee. It is a perennial and flourishes best on moist lands rich in 

 humus. It is good for permanent pastures or meadow, producing when 

 cut in flower a large amount of excellent hay which Mr. Sinclair values 

 next to the meadow foxtail. As a hay grass it is superior to the meadow 

 foxtail. It is common throughout Great Britain, Lapland, Norway, Swe- 



