170 CULTIVATED GRASSES. — TIMOTHY. 



as the time of flowering, the habits of growth, the soil 

 and location on which it grows best, and other charac- 

 teristics. Among the grasses found on cultivated 

 lands, in this country, the following are considered as 

 among the most valuable for ordinary farm cultivation; 

 some of them adapted to pastures, and others almost 

 exclusively to mowing and the hay crop: Timothy 

 (Phleum pratense). Meadow Foxtail (Alopecurus pra- 

 temis). June, or Kentucky Blue Grass (Poa pratensis). 

 Fowl meadow (Poa serotina). Rough-stalked Meadow 

 (Poa trivialis). Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata). 

 Perennial Rye Grass (Lolium perenne). Italian Rye 

 Grass (Lolium italicum). Redtop (Agrostis vulgaris). 

 English Bent (Agrostis alba). Meadow Fescue (Fes- 

 tuca pratensis). Tall Oat Grass (Arrhenatherum aven- 

 aceum). Sweet-scented Vernal ( Anthoxanthemum odor- 

 atum). Hungarian Grass (Panicum Germanicum). 

 Red Clover (Trifolium pratense). White or Dutch 

 Clover (Trifolium repens), and some others. 



Of these, the most valuable, all things considered, is the 

 first, or Timothy (Fig. 56). It forms a large proportion 

 of what is commonly called English, or in some sections 

 meadow hay, though it originated and was first culti- 

 vated in this country. It contains a large percentage 

 of nutritive matter, in comparison with other agricul- 

 tural grasses. It thrives best on moist, peaty, or loamy 

 soils, of medium tenacity, and is not well suited to very 

 light, sandy lands. On very moist soils its root is 

 almost always fibrous ; while on dry and loamy ones it is 

 bulbous. On soils of the former description, which it 

 especially affects, its growth is rapid, and its yield of 

 hay large, sometimes amounting to three and four tons 

 to the acre, depending much, of course, on cultivation. 

 But, though very valuable for hay, it is not adapted to 

 pastures, as it will neither endure severe grazing, nor 



