AND OTHER" FORAGE PLANTS. 83 



It should be sown from August to October, fourteen pounds, 

 equal to two bushels, per acre. Northward it is perennial; in 

 the south not strictly so. It seems to haYe been greatly im- 

 proved by acclimating in Texas and other southern States and 

 this is true of some of the other grasses and forage plants. 



2. H. MOLLIS, Creeping Soft Grass. 



This has a shorter, more open panicle than the preceding, but 

 the same soft, woolly appearance. It grows on a great variety 

 of soils, but its strong creeping roots render it undesirable 

 where we have so many better grasses for all purposes. 



HlEROCHLOA. 



H. BOREALIS, Seneca, Vanilla, or Holy Grass. 



This fragrant grass has strong creeping roots and little foliage ; 

 and though cattle eat it, it is not desirable for this country. 



2. H. ALPINA, Alpine Holy Grass, found in the northern 

 States is still less valuable. 



ANTHOXANTHTJM. 



A. ODORATUM, Sweet-scented Vernal Grass. 



This is an early spring and late fall grass, and best known of 

 the two fragrant species. A natiYe of Europe, it is naturalized 

 in most of our States to some extent, planted in gardens for use 

 in bouquets, in meadows to flavor hay and in pastures to give va- 

 riety and with a view, probably erroneous, of improving the 

 quality of milk and butter obtained from cows feeding on it. 

 The grass rubbed in the hands imparts its aromatic odor, as it 

 does also to hay with which it is cured. This is due to benzoic 

 acid found in this grass, or rather to an aromatic oil associated 

 with the acid. 



Way's analysis of this grass dried at 212 F. .shows in 100 

 parts : albuminoids 10.43, fatty matters 3.41, heat producing 

 principles 43.48, woody fibre 36.36, ash 6.32. The proportion 

 of nutritive matter is very considerable, but the yield per acre 

 is small. This and the fact that cattle do not relish it alone in- 

 dicate that it would be profitless sown alone. Hence it is al- 

 ways properly mixed with other grasses for pasture or meadow. 

 It is perennial and hardy, and grows one or two feet high. 



The palet which encloses the ripe seed has on the back a 

 long twisted and bent awn. This gives the seed a property 

 similar to that possessed by the "animated oat." Place the 

 seed in the moistened hand and the awn, absorbing the moist- 

 ure, is thereby made to untwist and cause the seed to move like 

 an insect. It is by this action of the awn and palet that the 

 seed is lifted out from the other parts of the spikelet and thus 

 prevented from germinating before matured in wet weather. 



