IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 15 



leaves are from 2 to 6 feet long and 2 to 6 inches wide ; 

 the flower-stem attains a height of 25 feet, the panicle 

 of flowers about 8 feet long, bearing in abundance bulb-like 

 buds. Other large species of Agave, all fibre-yielding, are 

 A. antillarum (Descourtil) from Hayti; A. Parryi (Eugel- 

 mann) from New Mexico ; A. Palmeri (Engelmann) from 

 South Arizona, up to an elevation of 6,000 feet. 



Agriophyllum gobicnm. 



Eastern Asia. The ' ' Soulkir " of the Mongols. Przevalsky 

 says that this plant affords a great part of the vegetable food 

 of the Ala- Shan nomads. Several other annual salsolaceous 

 herbs belong to the genus Agriophyllum.. 



Agrostis alba, Linne. 



The Fiorin or White Bent-Grass. Europe, North and Middle 

 Asia, North Africa, North America. Perennial, showing a 

 predilection for moisture ; can be grown on peat soil. It is 

 the Herd-Grass of the United States. It is valuable as an 

 admixture to many other grasses, as it becomes available at 

 the season, when some of them fail. Sinclair regards it as a 

 pasture-grass inferior to Festuca pratensis and Dactylis 

 glomerata, but superior to Alopecurus pratensis. The variety 

 with long suckers (A. stolonifera) is best adapted for sandy 

 pastures, and helps to bind shifting sand on the sea-coast, or 

 broken soil on river banks. It has a predilection for moisture, 

 and luxuriates even on saline wet soil or periodically inundated 

 places, as well observed by Langethal. It is more a grass for 

 cattle-country than for sheep pasture, but wherever it is to 

 grow the soil must be penetrable. Its turf on coast-meadows 

 is particularly dense and of remarkable fineness. For sowing 

 only one-sixth of the weight of the seeds, as compared with 

 those of the Rye- Grass, is needed. 



Agrostis rubra, Linne. (A. borealisj Hartmann.) 



Northern Europe, Asia and America. "A perennial grass called 

 Bed- top, and also Herd- Grass in the 'United States of North 

 America. Mr. Meehan places it for its value as pasture among 

 grasses cultivated there next after Phleum pratense and Poa 

 pratensis (the latter there called Blue Grass), and before 

 Dactylis glomerata (the Orchard- Grass of the United States). 



Agrostis scabra, Willdenow.* 



The Hair-Grass of North America. Recently recommended 

 as one of the best lawn grasses, forming a dense turf. It will 

 grow even on poor gravelly soil, and endure drought as well 



