GEOWTH OF FOWL MEADOW. 83 



It early commended itself to the attention of fann- 

 ers, for Jared Eliot, writing in 1749, says of it : " There 

 are two sorts of grass which are natives of the country, 

 which I would recommend, these are Herd's grass 

 (known in Pennsylvania by the name of Timothy 

 grass), the other is Fowl Meadow, sometimes called 

 Duck grass, and sometimes Swamp-wire grass. It is 

 said that Herd's grass was first found in a swamp in 

 Piscataqua, by one Herd, who propagated the same ; 

 that fowl meadow grass was brought into a poor piece 

 of meadow in Dedham, by ducks and other wild water- 

 fowl, and therefore called by such an odd name. It is 

 supposed to be brought into the meadows at Hartford 

 by the annual floods, and called there Swamp-wire grass. 

 Of these two sorts of natural grass, the fowl grass is 

 much the best ; it grows tall and thick, makes a more 

 soft and pliable hay than Herd's grass, and consequently 

 will be more fit for pressing, in order to ship off with 

 our horses ; besides, it is a good grass, not in abun- 

 dance inferior to English grass. It yields a good burden, 

 three loads to the acre. It must be sowed in low, moist 

 land. This grass has another good quality, which ren- 

 ders it very valuable in a country where help is so 

 much wanting ; it will not spoil or suffer, although it 

 stand beyond the common times for mowing. Clover 

 will be lost, in a great measure, if it be not cut in the 

 proper season. Spear grass, commonly called English 

 grass, if it stands too long, will be little better than rye 

 straw; if this outstand.the time, it is best to let it stand 

 till there comes up a second growth, and then it will do 

 tolerably well ; but this fowl grass may be mowed any 

 time from July to October. * * * This I wondered 

 at, but, viewing some of it attentively, I think I have 

 found the reason of it. "When it is grown about three 

 feet high, it then falls down, but doth not rot like other 



