296 GRASSES AND HOW TO GROW THEM. 



early in July or as soon as the grass is fully beaded 

 out and it may be continued until tbe autumn, wben 

 necessary, but tbe late cut grass is not nearly so valu- 

 able as that cut early. Tbe cutting is done by self- 

 rake reapers wbicb leaves tbe grass in sbeaves, wbere 

 it dries on tbe ground. Men follow tbe reapers and 

 straigbten tbe sbeaves for tbe ^'gleaners." Wben tbe 

 grass is dry enougb, tbe gleaners follow ; lift tbe sbeaves 

 from tbe ground and bind tbem. Tliey are tben drawn 

 on wagons to bay sbeds and are finally baled for sbip- 

 ment to tbe factory. Tbe borses wbicb do tbe work 

 ou tbe meadows are sbod witb bog sboes, and tbe wag- 

 ons bave wide tires. Late in tbe season, tbe grass is 

 cut and bound witb binders. 



Securing Seed. — i^o attempts bave probably been 

 made to secure tbe seed of wire grass and it is ques- 

 tionable, if it will be necessary to give attention to tbe 

 matter for many years, if indeed ever. Tbe grass 

 seems to require dwarfing or stunting in order to make 

 it produce seed. Tbe seed is triangular in outline, 

 and ripens in July. It could most conveniently be 

 gathered probably by tbe stripper but may be also 

 harvested and threshed like tbe seed of other grain. 



Renewing. — Tbe only sense in which it would seem 

 possible to renew this grass, wbere it begins to fail 

 would seem to be by regulating tbe water supply. As it 

 is necessary to keep the grass practically free from other 

 grasses, wbere redtop and blue joint come in around 

 the edges of tbe meadow, the only practical way to re- 

 move tbem would be to submerge tbem until the}' 

 would vanish. There are also certain grasses of tbe 



