, CHAPTER II 



GRASSES 



A LARGE part of the animal creation is made up 

 of grass-eaters. Carnivorous creatures live upon 

 the grass-eaters. So the saying: "All flesh is 

 grass," is literally true, in the long run. The 

 commonest plant in the world is grass. It covers 

 the bare earth, even when trees and other larger 

 plants make a shade over it. Grass fills in the 

 chinks, and makes the earth green and beautiful, 

 except in desert places. 



The Grass Family embraces all the cultivated 

 grains, whose seeds make flour for bread of many 

 kinds. It covers the pasture grasses that are made 

 into hay to feed stock in cold winter climates. 

 The blue-grass, that makes Kentucky famous, and 

 is the favorite lawn grass in all our cities, is a 

 wild species. Its nutritious leaves and stems make 

 the richest kind of pasture and hay for stock. 



Timothy and red-top, European wild grasses, 

 we cultivate for hay and pasture. Each country 

 has developed its own types of forage plants. 



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