120 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 



finally the elevation of the banks was raised and 

 their extension into the water materially increased. 



The United States Department of Agriculture 

 has done some remarkable work with sand-binding 

 grasses. Large tracts of land on Cape Cod, espe- 

 cially the Province Lands, have been reclaimed 

 from desolation by these sand-loving grasses. 



One of the best known is the marram-grass, or 

 sand-reed, botanically known as Ammophila are- 

 naria. It is common along the Great Lakes, and is 

 found among the sand-dunes of Indiana, along the 

 Atlantic coast, and also in California; in Europe 

 it is commonly found along the coast countries, 

 where it is extensively used to protect the coast 

 against tides and storms. This interesting sand- 

 reed has been used as a land-reclaimer in England, 

 Scotland, Denmark, and Holland, for ages. 



It does not make good food for grazing animals, 

 because of its dry, hard, wood-like stems ; yet, rab- 

 bits are fond of burrowing among its roots on the 

 seashore, and they no doubt eat the young shoots. 

 The blades are tremendously strong, and are some- 

 times used in making ropes. 



The roots and the buried stems of this grass grow 

 to an unbelievable length, and gradually become so 

 matted and twisted together as to bind perfectly all 

 land that it invades. In every direction they reach 



