42 KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS. 



Woody fibre 38.02 



Mineral matter or ash 5.94 



100.00 

 This grass has always been a favorite one in Eng- 

 land as a mixture with other grasses for permanent 

 pasture, meadows and lawns; but as a separate crop 



it is rarely or ever cultivated. 



Mr. Curtis, in his valuable Flora Londonensis^ 

 says of it: "The Smooth Stalked Poa is a sweet 

 grass, and readily eaten by cattle in general, it carries 

 its verdure in the winter better than most others, and 

 in the following spring throws out numerous younfg 

 shoots, so as to make excellent spring food. It pro- 

 duces a good crop of leaves at the bottom, which 

 makes exceedingly fine hay and is fit for cutting 



early in the spring." 



Another writer says: "This is one of the most 



useful grasses, for it vegetates in the driest soils, sup- 

 ports its verdue during the winter and in the spring 

 throws out numerous shoots for early pasture, the 

 the hay is also of fine quality." 



George Sinclair, in his Hortus Gramineus^ says: 

 'This species sends forth flowering stems, but once 

 in the season, and these being the most valuable part 

 of the plant for the purposes of hay, and considering 

 the superior value of the aftermarth, over that of the 

 seed crop it will appear from these properties to be 

 well adapted for permanent pasture. It is however 

 the property of all creeping roots to scourge the soil 

 and when plants with fibrous roots can be substituted 

 in the place of those with an equal prospect of ad- 

 vantage in regard to early growth produce and 

 nutritive qualities it will be found to repay the labor 

 with interest." 



