THE GRASSES OF THE FARM. 501 



Notwithstanding these advantages over the Orchard grass, it is not as 

 valuable a grass, it never forms as thick and compact a sod as Orchard 

 grass. It is more liable to injury from drought. It must never be left 

 one day after it blooms, if you want first-class hay, and a rain will injure 

 tin- looks of Oat grass three times as much as it will injure Orchard gi 

 or Timothy. If, however, it is cut and handled right, it makes beautiful 

 hav. If cut early and the summer is not an excessively dry one it will 

 1 twice in the same summer. I consider the Oat grass a more valu- 

 able grass than Timothy, for pasture, and it is not nearly as exhaustive to 

 the soil, and if properly handled will make as good hay and twice as much 

 of it. 



SMOOTH STALKED POA OR MEADOW GRASS. JUNE GRASS, KENTUCKY BLUE 

 GRASS, COMMON SPEAR GRASS (Poa pratensix.) 



has always been a favourite one in England as a mixture 

 with other grasses for permanent pastures, meadows and lawns, but as a 

 separate crop it is raivly if ever cultivated. 



The Smooth Stalked Poa is a sweet grass, and readily eaten by cattle 

 in general, it carries its verdure into the winter better than most others, 

 and in the following spring throws out numerous young shoots, so as to 

 make excellent spring food. It produces a good crop of leaves at the bot- 

 tom, which makes exceedingly fine hay and is fit for cutting early in the 



One writer says : " This is one of the most useful grasses, for it vege- 

 tates in tli. dr'n-st soils, supports its verdure during the winter, and in the 

 sprinLT throws out numerous shoots for early pasture, the hay is also of 

 lint- quality." 



Although Poa pratensis is known all over Northern Europe as far as 



P< TshurLrh, <><) derives north latitude, yet in no part of Kurope has 



i family been so fully developed as in the States of 



Virginia. Maryland and the tar f'aim'd Kentucky Ulue grass region. This 



ion also extends over several counties in Ohio, but the grass dors n..t 



ii to flourish so luxuriantly on the Ohio side, although in ,.thrr coun- 



ot' ulii... it ix said to L,TO\V as luxuriantly, and form as staple a pasture 



grass ns it does in any part of l\. ntu.-ky. Thr cultivation of this grass 



t liavt- improved wonderfully within th.- la^t iift\ 

 \V >. II uid, of L--U U < to., KnitiK-ky. who has had a large experience in 

 <>a Pratensis, says of it: "Common Spear grass and 

 itui-ky Blue grass is one and the same, varying in ; ranee 



