122 THE HUMAN SIDE OF PLANTS 



grasps, and securely binds, thus building the vast 

 sand-dunes. 



Grasses are by far the most important group 

 of plants ; for all grains, such as corn, barley, wheat, 

 oats, rice, and sugar-cane, are only cultivated 

 grasses. 



But one of the greatest services that grasses 

 afford mankind is the binding down and retain- 

 ing of lands. To what extent in this use grasses 

 can be utilised, men have but begun to discover. 



To this end, about eighty years ago, the United 

 States Government undertook to reclaim the sand- 

 dunes of the Province of Cape Cod ; but only since 

 1895, after these lands had been placed under the 

 control of the Board of Harbor and Land Com- 

 missioners of Massachusetts, has the undertaking 

 been conducted in such a manner as to produce good 

 results. In a number of southern and western 

 States, and especially on the Pacific coast, inter- 

 esting experiments have been made in the same way. 

 Oregon has been using sand-binding grasses not 

 only on the coast, but inland along the railroad- 

 tracks as well, where by means of these grasses the 

 barren embankments are protected from wind and 

 rain. 



Among the various species of grass used for pro- 

 tecting and building up islands and sandy land, the 



