TALL FESCUE-GRASS. 437 



tior. It is a fibrous-rooted perennial, somewhat creeping, 

 forming large tufts. It grows from three to five feet high. It 

 flowers in the first week of July, and ripens its seed about the 

 middle of August. It grows on strong, rich, and rather moist 

 soils, by the banks of rivers, in moist shady woods, and near 

 the sea-coast. It is a very coarse, reedy-like grass, but much 

 relished by domestic herbivorous animals, especially by cows. 

 It might prove a useful grass for such damp soils as cannot be 

 made sufficiently dry for the growth of more valuable grasses. 

 Its limit of altitude is about 500 feet above the sea-level. 



A taller and stronger variety than the common is cultivated 

 under the name of giant fescue-grass. There is also a variety 

 with large spikelets, variegated with purple and white, frequent 

 along the sea-shore and on the banks of rivers. 



Festuca elatior is one of the plants recommended to be sown 

 for permanent pastures in medium and heavy soils, to the ex- 

 tent of from 1 Ib. to 2J Ib. per imperial acre ; also for lands in 

 preparation for irrigation, for permanent pasture and hay in 

 orchards and other grounds much overshadowed by trees, for 

 pasturage and cover in thick shady woods, and for marshy 

 grounds and such as are occasionally 'overflowed by fresh-water 

 tides, in the same proportion. A bushel of the seeds averages 

 14 Ib., and an ounce of the seeds numbers about 20,500. 



The Festuca Jieterophylla, various leaved fescue-grass, is an 

 exotic species. It is a fibrous-rooted perennial, which flowers 

 in June and July. It is met with in the central and southern 

 countries of Europe. Its uses are similar to thtfse of the Fes- 

 tuca duriuscula, being adapted for rich, dry, permanent grass- 

 lands, especially such as are to be at times used for hay. It 

 yields a greater weight of stems than any of the other fine- 

 leaved fescues. 



It is one of the plants recommended for permanent pastures, 

 and for permanent lawn-pastures in medium and heavy soils, to 





