158 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



from places that are now perfectly secure from the drifting of sand. Indeed, were it not for 

 the window -glass in some of the oldest houses in these localities, you would &quot;be ready to deny 

 this statement; but the sand has been blown with such force and so long against this glass as 

 to make it perfectly ground. I know of some windows through which you cannot see an 

 object, except to remind you of that passage where men were seen as trees walking. &quot; 



Congress appropriated, between the years 1826 and 1839, about twenty-eight thousand 

 dollars, which were expended in setting out beach grass back of the village, for the protection 

 of the harbor. From the seed of this grass it is estimated that nearly as much ground has 

 become planted with it as was covered by the general government. In 1854, five thousand 

 dollars were expended most wisely by the general government in adding to the work so nobly 

 begun; and the experience of former years was of great value to the efficiency of this latter 

 effort. 



&quot; It may be proper to state,&quot; says the same writer, &quot; that this town does much in the way 

 of leach-grassing by its leach-grass committee, 1 whose duty it is to enter any man s enclosure, 

 summer or winter, and set out grass, if the sand is uncovered and movable. By this means 

 we are now rid of sand-storms, which were once the terror of the place, being something like 

 snow-storms, for drifts which were to be removed. Our streets are now hardened with clay 

 which has been imported, and instead of its being buried, as it would once have been in a few 

 days, I notice that the surveyors have to resort to sprinkling it with sand in wet weather, so 

 effectually has the culture of beach grass answered its end. 



&quot; The mode of culture is very simple. The grass is pulled up by hand and placed in a 

 hole about a foot deep, and the sand pressed down about it. These holes are dug about one 

 foot and a half apart. The spring is the usual time of planting, though many do this work in 

 the fall or winter. The roots of the grass, from which it soon covers the ground, are very 

 long. I have noticed them ten feet, and I suppose upon high hills they extend down into 

 wet sand.&quot; 



Beach grass seems to require the assistance of some disturbing causes to enable it to 

 attain its full perfection. The driving winds in some localities, are sufficient, while in other 

 places, where it does not thrive so well, it is probable that an iron tooth harrow would greatly 

 improve and aid its growth. It has beon extensively cultivated or propagated from the seed 

 on many parts of Cape Cod, on Nantucket, and in fact to a considerable extent all along our 

 coast. It comes in of itself along Nantasket Beach from seed borne by the tides, probably 

 from the Cape. 



The Bristly Foxtail, (Setaria verticillata,) is a grass sometimes, though rarely, 

 found about farm-houses. It has cylindrical spikes two or three inches long, pale green, 

 somewhat interrupted with whorled, short clusters, bristles single or in pairs, roughened or 

 barbed downwards, short. Not cultivated. 



Bottle Grass, sometimes called Foxtail (Osetaria glauca). This is an annual with a 

 stem from one to three feet high, leaves broad, hairy at the base, sheaths smooth, ligule 

 bearded, spike two to three inches long, dense, cylindrical, bristles six to eleven in a cluster, 

 rough upwards, perfect flower wrinkled. The spike is of a tawny or dull orange yellow when 

 old. Flowers in July. It is common in cultivated grounds and barnyards. Introduced. 



The Green Foxtail, sometimes also called Bottle Grass, (Setaria wiridis,) has a 

 spike cylindrical, more or less compound, green, bristles few in a cluster, longer than the 

 spikelets, flower perfect, striate lengthwise and dotted. It is common in cultivated ground s_ 



The Bengal Grass, sometimes called Millet, (Setaria italica^ also belongs to this 

 genus. It has a compound spike, thick, nodding, six to nine inches long, yellowish or pur 

 plish, bristles two or three in a cluster. Introduced from Europe. 



