*T ( V LIBRARY 



* UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 



SANTA 



PREFACE TO THE TRANSLATION. 



A WORK embracing the grass family as a whole, in all 

 its aspects, enumerating the best known economic species 

 and the uses which they serve, discussing their structure 

 and morphology and their arrangement into tribes and 

 genera with the characters of these pointed out in a man- 

 ner enabling one to classify any grass which may come 

 to his hand, is a desideratum in our literature and one 

 which has long been felt by many. Such a work is the 

 contribution made by Prof. Eduard Hackel, of St. Poel- 

 ten, Austria, to that great German publication on the 

 Natural Families of Plants (Die naturlichen Pflamen- 

 familieri) edited by Drs. Engler and Prantl. Prof. Hackel 

 stands without a peer among agrostologists ; his contri- 

 bution, therefore, has an especial value and may be 

 accepted as expressing the latest views of the highest 

 authority. 



The work here referred to contains so much of prac- 

 tical as well as of scientific importance and interest that 

 its presentation in a form available to English readers 

 seemed highly desirable. A further incentive to the 

 preparation of an English translation was the fact that 

 at this time particular interest in the investigation of 

 grasses is being taken by the United States Government, 

 and on all sides eager demands are being made for 

 information relative to these plants. That this is so 

 is not remarkable when we consider the unrivalled eco- 

 nomic importance of grasses, furnishing as they do daily 

 food to man and the animals upon which he is most 

 dependent, as well as supplying a great variety of articles 

 used in manufacture, the arts, and medicine. While the 

 present work may not add to the interest in the subject 

 already existing, it cannot fail to afford information much 

 desired. 



With a view to increasing the value of the work and 

 rendering it more serviceable to private students and 



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