182 HUNGARIAN GRASS. 



The Sweet-scented Vernal grass (Fig. 67) is one of 

 the earliest in spring and one of the latest in autumn : 

 and this habit of growth is one of its chief excellences, 

 as it is neither a nutritious grass nor very palatable to 

 stock of any kind, nor does it yield a very good crop. 

 It is very common all over New England and the 

 Middle States, coming into old worn-out fields and moist 

 pastures spontaneously, and along every roadside. It 

 derives its name from its sweetness of smell when par- 

 tially wilted, or crushed in the hand, and it is this chiefly 

 that gives the delicious fragrance to all new-mown hay. 

 It is almost the only grass that possesses a strongly- 

 marked aromatic odor, which is imparted to other 

 grasses with which it is cured. Its seed weighs eight 

 pounds to the bushel. In mixtures for permanent pas- 

 tures it may be of some value. 



Hungarian grass, or Millet (Fig. 68), is an annual forage 

 plant, introduced into France in 1815, and more recently 

 into this country. It germinates readily and withstands 

 the drought remarkably, remaining green when other 

 grasses are parched and dried up. It has numerous 

 succulent leaves, which furnish an abundance of sweet 

 fodder, greatly relished by stock of all kinds. It 

 attains its greatest luxuriance on soils of medium con- 

 sistency and richness, but does very well on light and 

 dry plains. 



Red Clover (Fig. 69) is an artificial grass of the legu- 

 minous family, and one of the most valuable of culti- 

 vated plants for feeding to dairy cows. It flourishes 

 best on tenacious soils and stiff loams. Its growth is 

 rapid, and a few months after sowing are sufficient to 

 supply an abundant sweet and nutritious food. In the 

 climate of New England clover should be sown in the 

 spring of the year, while most of the natural grasses do 

 far better sown in the fall. It is often sown with per- 



