86 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



ermis) will be superior. West of the mountains is a 

 country high in adaptation to the growing of blue grass. 

 But in no part of Canada does blue grass grow better 

 than in Ontario. In some parts of that province its 

 growth is not excelled on any portion of the American 

 continent. 



Soil. — Blue grass is adapted to many kinds of soil. 

 In fact there is scarcely any variety of the same in 

 which it will not grow to some extent unless it be soil 

 charged with alkali in a considerable degree, or sandy 

 soil low in fertility and deficient in moisture. The 

 wide range in adaptation to soil conditions which this 

 grass possesses, along with the even wider range whicli 

 it has of accommodating itself to climatic conditions 

 chiefly account for the fact, that on the '^N'orth American 

 continent it is now or is eventually going to be practi- 

 cally cosmopolitan in one of its varieties. 



The highest conditions for the growth of blue grass 

 are found in clay loam soils and more particularly in 

 those underlaid with clay sufficiently retentive to retain 

 moisture at least in fair degree, and jet sufficiently open 

 to prevent water from lying unduly on the surface. In 

 other words the highest conditions for growing blue 

 grass are found in soils Avell adapted to the growth 

 of what are termed hard woods of varied character. 

 This explains, in part at least, why blue grass so quick- 

 ly takes possession of forest lands Avhen cleared and 

 kept clear of timber. 



'Next in adaptation, probably, come rather stiff clays, 

 the producing powers of which have not been impaired 

 by w^orking when unduly wet or by pasturing when in 



