WIRE GRASS. 295 



one of blue joint or redtop. Something approximating 

 to the above, is the preparation of soil, required for 

 the introduction of wire grass. Where the grass has 

 not been cut the previous year, it is necessary to burn 

 it off with fire. This is best done in the spring while 

 the frost is yet up to the surface of the ground. Dead 

 grass amid the green crop would render the latter un- 

 fit for manufacturing purposes. 



Sowing. From what has been said, it will be ap- 

 parent that, up to the present, nature has been found 

 sufficient to the task of sowing the seed; the attempt 

 by man to sow it has never probably been made; yet 

 man has a duty to perform, where these meadows are 

 to be made permanent. Attention must needs be given 

 to the water supply and to the removal of the same. 

 This cannot always be done, but in many instances, it 

 can. Many of those wire grass meadows are found in 

 lowlands, where shallow lakes abound. This makes 

 it possible to lower the water so as to drain the meadow 

 in getting it" ready for harvesting; such draining is 

 further facilitated by the presence of certain open 

 ditches cut through the meadows where needed. It is 

 also possible by damming up the outlet to flood the 

 land sufficiently at certain seasons of the year, since in 

 some of those meadows the fall is not more than one 

 foot per mile. 



Pasturing. Wire grass does not furnish good pas- 

 ture. Live stock will not eat it, if they can get other 

 grass, owing to its toughness and probably to its want 

 of palatability. 



HarvestinQ. The harvesting of wire grass begins 



