CHAPTER VIII 



BLUE-GRASSES, MEADOW-GRASSES AND 

 RED TOP 



ALL the different species called blue-grass, and most of 

 those called meadow-grass, belong to the genus Poa, for 

 which some early writers used the English equivalent poe, 

 now practically obsolete. All of the cultivated poas are 

 much alike agriculturally, being especially useful for 

 pastures. 



Redtop and related species of bent-grass (Agrostis) are 

 botanically quite remote from the Poas, but agriculturally 

 very similar. Redtop itself is perhaps equally valuable 

 for pasturage and for hay. 



THE BLUE-GRASSES 



142. Kentucky blue-grass (Poa pratensis). Ken- 

 tucky blue-grass is also known as June-grass, or simply 

 as blue-grass. It has been called smooth-stalked meadow- 

 grass to distinguish it from rough-stalked meadow-grass 

 (Poa trivialis). In Virginia it was formerly known as 

 greensward. The name of Kentucky is used as a prefix 

 partly because of the famous blue-grass lands of that 

 state, and partly to distinguish it from Canada blue- 

 grass. The narrow-leaved variety of blue-grass was 

 formerly known as " bird grass." 



143. Botany. Poa pratensis, in its ordinary cultivated 

 form, is quite certainly not native to North America. 

 Endemic varieties do occur, however, from Alaska south- 



154 



