THE GRASSES, MEADOWS, ETT. 87 



known to produce a good sod over the entire ground. It 

 flourishes from Maine to Georgia. 



SMOOTH STALKED, MEADOW, GREEN, SPEAR OR JUNE 

 GRASS, the (erroneously called) BLUE GRASS OF KENTUCKY 

 (Poa -pratensis) is highly esteemed for hay and pasture. It 

 is indigenous and abounds through the country, but does not 

 appear to reach perfection north of the valley of the Ohio. 

 It is seen in its glory in Kentucky and Tennessee. The 

 seed ripens in June and falls upon the ground, where the 

 succeeding rains give il vitality and it pushes out its long, 

 rich slender leaves, two feet in height which in autumn fall 

 over in thick windrows, matting the whole surface with 

 lucious herbage. Upon these fields which have been care- 

 fully protected till the other forage is exhausted, the cattle 

 are turned and fatten through the winter. It maintains its 

 freshness and nutritive properties in spite of frost and the 

 cattle easily reach it through the light snows which fall in 

 thai climate. A warm, dry calcareous soil seems to be its 

 natural element, and it flourishes only in a rich upland. 



THE ROUGHISH MEADOW GRASS (Poa trivialis) has much 

 the appearance of the poa pratensis, but its stalk feels rough 

 to the touch while the other is smooth. It has the further 

 difference of preferring moist or wet loams or clay. It yields 

 well and affords good hay and pasture. 



TALL OAT GRASS (Avena elatiw) is an early luxuriant 

 grass, growing to the height sometimes of five feet. It 

 makes good hay but is better suited to pasture. It flour- 

 ishes in a loam or clay soil. 



MEADOW Fox TAIL (Alopecurus pratensis) is a highly 

 esteemed grass in England both for meadows and pasture. 

 It grows early arid abundantly, and gives a large quantity of 

 aftermath. It is best suited* to a moist soil, bog, clay or 

 loam. It is indigenous to the middle states. 



PERENNIAL RYE GRASS (Lolium perenne) AND BIENNIAL 

 AND ITALIAN DITTO, are all grasses highly esteemed in 

 Europe, but repeated trials in this country have given no 

 satisfactory results. They yield indifferently with us, and 

 easily winter kill. Careful cultivation under favorable cir- 

 cumstances, may yet acclimate and render them useful 

 grasses. 



FIORIN GRASS (Agrostis slohnifera) has been much lauded 

 in England of late, but has made little progress in the esti- 

 mation of American farmers, and probably with sufficient 



