104 



AGRICULTURAL fiSSATS. 



and not more than one or two of them that are noticed as fur- 

 nishing food suitable for the sustenance of stock, while many 

 rushes, mosses, &c. are found growing or? the same spot which 

 are of no value whatever. 



It is certainly then worthy of great consideration whether the 

 farmer should not make it more of an object to cultivate his 

 grass as well as his grain. It is well known that grasses growrr 

 on dry or arable land, are of a quality vastly superior to' those 

 of natural meadow, and it appears from the above account of 

 the artificial grasses, that even a much greater quantity of 

 good buy may be obtained by cultivation from the same quan- 

 tity of land. Besides, the system, if it is properly pursued, will 

 have the effect to increase the quantity and quality of all his 

 other crops, to a degree more than sufficient to compensate 

 him for all the extra labor and expense.* 



There are several other kinds of grasses, v/hick do not so 

 properly belong to those wliich are denominated artificial, be- 

 cause they will grow and iionri^li longer without cultivation ; 

 among these are the following. 



Meadow cats tail, timothy gras3, or herds grass, 

 {Phleum Pratensis.) the grass most used for hay in the northern 

 states. It is sometimes called fox tail, but this is another grass. 

 The cats tail has a long head, somewhat resembling the tail of a 

 cat,v;ith very fine seeds ; the fox tail has a long bushy head more 

 like the tail ofthe fox with coarse seed. In other respects 

 they have considerable resemblance. 



Cats tail grows best in rich moist soils but will grow well in 

 a rich wet soil, or in a rich arable soil. In the ri-^h wet soil it 

 gradually lessens in product, while at the same time it gives 

 way to wild grasses. In the rich arable soil it gradually fails^ 

 by reason ofthe ground becoming bound and the sward thick- 

 ened with other grasses. If it were considerably torn with 

 the harrow every spring, and not too closely pastured in the 

 fall, and none in the spring, it would grow well for many years 

 in such soil. By close pasturing in the fall it is apt to be torn 

 out by the roots ; and by cropping it again in the spring, it 

 suffers greatly, -^t^will yield one half more if not pastured 

 any, than when pl^ured clos^^ly in the fall and again in the 

 spring. In the richest soils, and when not pastured, upwards 

 of four tons may be had in a season at two mowings. It does 

 not fertilize land so mvich as clover ; but on the contrary binds 

 and somewhat exhausts the soil. It is perennial and will last 



•See essay on rotation of crops, 



