GRASSES OF IOWA. 



333 



Wire Grass {Poa compressa). — This grass is indigenous to 

 Europe and has long been naturalized in sections of this coun- 

 try. It occurs in rather thin, dry pastures. Although not 

 generally used as a pasture or forage plant in this state, in 

 portions of New England and Canada it is used, where it is 

 known by the name of bluegrass, a very appropriate name, as 

 the plant has a dark bluish glaucous green color. Several 

 agricultural writers speak in highest terms of this grass. 

 Gould* says: " It never yields a great bulk of -hay, but this 

 bulk weighs very heavily, frequently a ton and a ton and a half 

 to the acre where one would not expect to get one-half a ton." 

 He considered it one of the most valuable and nutritious of 

 grasses. 



Lamson Scribnerf states: " There is perhaps no better pas- 

 ture grass for dry and poor soils, particularly in the eastern 

 and middle states. It is especially valuable for dairy pastures; 

 cows feeding on it yield the richest milk and finest butter." 

 This is the bluegrass of New England and the middle states, 

 and is easily distinguished from genuine bluegrass by its 

 decidedly blue color and strongly flittened stems, lower habit 

 of growth and smaller panicle. " 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION. 



There were five samples of Poa compressa analyzed in the 

 station laboratory, as follows : 



Sample No. I. May 8, 1896, 8 to 9 inches high. 



Sample No 2. May 22, 1896, 14 to 15 inched high. 



Sample No. 3. June 3, 1896, 24 to 26 inches high. 



Sample No. 4. June 11, 1896, 24 to 26 inches high. 



Sample No. 5. June 22, 1896, 24 to 26 inches high. 



NATUR VL CONDITION. 



Sample 1. 

 Sample 2. 

 Sample 3. 

 Sample 4 

 Sample 5. 



♦Beal. Grasses of N. A. 1:139. Ed. 2. 



tEconomic Grasses. Bull. Div. Agrost. U. S. Dept. Agrl. 14:63. 



