114 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



tnole re<rionp, and of sundry rollertors of speci- 

 men?. What earli iodividnal miglit do, would 

 neces-ar'dy be impeiTeci— but ihe aileniion of p6- 

 vera! houinists and collectors, at remote points ofob- 

 Eervation, niighl fiirjiisli materi-ds for one whole 

 and complete and higldy valuable list. This is liie 

 more desirable, os then the collection of speci- 

 mens woidd be more complete, beinjr made by, or 

 under the direction of the bolanisis themselves. 

 Pesides Mr. Curiis, there are several oilier indi- 

 viduals who are among the readers of this jour- 

 nal, and valued contritmiors to its pages, who 

 could cescniially aid this object, not only Ir-om their 

 knowledge of botany, but also because of the ve- 

 ry different regions in which they reside, and the 

 difference of the natural grasses, as well as of the 

 various provincial synonymes of the same kinds. 

 —En. F. R. 



GRASSKS— BOTANICAL AND VULGAR DESIGNA- 

 TIONS AND SYKOKY3IES. THE WIHK GRASS 

 OF VIRGINIA. 



Westchesfer, Pa., Feb. 8, 1S41. 

 J. S. Skinner, Esq —Dear S'a—\\\ ilie Ameri- 

 can F.irtner ul ihe 2!) h J iniiary. I observe Mri 

 iiiiercf^iing notice of ihe ^■Kentucky blue grass."' 

 so called ; and amnn-r oihfr rtiii il<-', a (If8ire is 

 expri st:e(l, by ihe Ediiorofihe F-oincrs' Keiris- 

 ter, ihai a more diliniie ncmenclulure might be 

 furnished of the several gras.-e.-: which are brpt 

 known, and mos: itniioriHiii, to the airricnliurisi. 

 Ii is no easy matier lo colled all the local popular 

 iianies of planis, and ajiply ihem accnraiely to 

 the ?pecies intended. Notliing hui a residence 

 in the various <li!^lric.ts of our couniry <'ould enable 

 nnv one to gather ihem all, and liirnish a precise 

 eynonymy. Every neighborhood, almost, has 

 its own names, lor plame that are familiarly 

 known ; and unlbrlunaielv, many of tlum be- 

 come transposed, or mir^appliei!, so that the 

 objects, meant to be designated, cannot always 

 be aeceriair.ed without an examinaiion of speci- 

 nierie. As, however, it is a liu-oriie pursuit wiih 

 nic, I will endeavor, with yonr permission, to 

 give a hasty sketch ol the synomxjmy of i hose 

 grasses which ore mo-t iniereslin;,' lo the agii- 

 culiiirists of the United Siaies. A scientific de- 

 scription oi' \hem would be loo voluu)inous fi)r 

 the present occasion ; and moreover, such descrip- 

 tion may be (bund in any of the Floras already 

 pnbli.-hed. I will content niyself with giving the 

 botanical names, and annexing the most usual 

 popular names ; by which nteans ihe greater por- 

 tion of the grasses known to our agricuiluriels, 

 mav he determined with accuracy. 



Botanical names. 

 L Poa prntensis, Z.— This is the plant erro- 

 neausly called "6me grass,^'' in /Kentucky. The 

 J2ii(Tlish call it " smooth stalked meadow grass.'''' 

 In Pennsylvania, and mosi of ihe oiher states, 

 it is known by the names of "gree?! grass,^'' 

 " spear grass," and " meadow grass." 

 % Poa covipressa, Z..— This is most generally 

 '' sailed blue gra»s" b«ii is pfi^n called " wir* 



grnss.''^ and is probably the "wire grass" of 

 Virginia. Th° English call it '■•flat -stemmed 

 meadow grass" 



3. /'hieum pratense, L — In Pennsylvania, ami 

 to ihe souili and west, sliis is known by the 

 name of timothy'''; but in New York, and 

 thronnrhout New England, it is eal'ed '' ^erc/'s 

 grass." The Enulisli call it '■'■caVs tail grass." 



4. Jigrostis vulgaris, L. — This is the ^'■herd's 

 grass" of /Pennsylvania, and probably of the 

 southern and western siatpF, as far as it ia 

 known. It is also known in Pennsylvania by 

 the name of "rfd top." It is called ''^;ie bent 

 grass.,'" by ilie English ; and a coarser species 

 iiearlv allied lo this, is the celebrated ^'■fi.orin 

 grass" o\' Ireland. 



5. DactyJis ghnnerata, L., commonly called 

 '■^orchard gross." in the United States. It is 

 the '■ roi/s,'/t co<A:'s yJw/ grass" of the English. 



6. Festuca prateiisis, L. — This, though a valua- 

 ble g.-ass, seems not to have acquiied a distinct 

 popular nan)e in our country. !n England it 

 is called " meadow fiiiscve grass." 



7. Indium perenne, L., commonly called ''ray 

 grass" or " rye grass." 



8. Jvena elatior, L. — Called " tiller oat grass" 

 by the EnL'lish ; it has been partially culiiviiied 

 in this country, under the name of " grass ()/' 

 the Andes." 



9. jJitthxanihiim odnraium, L. — Called ''sweet- 

 scented vernal grass." by ihe Eni/lij-h : remaik- 

 able lur ns Irayran' c, when cm and panly dry. 

 The above-named grasses are inoie or less 



known, and esteemed, in the meadows and pas- 

 tures of /'e7i/)S?//fa;im ; and it is remarkatde ihat 

 they are all lielieved to be introduced plants. 

 Some of them are thoroughly nalvraiizcd ; while 

 others re()uire to he sown, like cuhi^'aied grains, 

 in order to impure a lull crop. The following 

 irrasses, though of comparatively little value, 

 may be enumerated for the sake of giving their 

 popular names ; — 

 Botanical names. 



10. Tripsacum daciyloides, E. — This has been 

 somewliai noted, under the name of " go77!a 

 grass," and " sesame grass"; but it never can 

 compete with our tieiiei i/rasses, in good arable 

 or pasture lands. |i is loo coarse and hard. 



11. Tritirvmrepens, /,.— Called "couch grass," 

 and '• quitch grass." by the Ennlish. A perni- 

 cious loreiirner, which is difficult to subdue, 

 when once fully na'uralized. 



12. Holcus lanatns, E. — CaWei "feather grass, ''^ 

 and " white timothy," a naturalized foreigner, 

 of little value in our meadows. 



13. Eteusine fndica. Earn. — Known by the name 

 of " dog's tail grass," and someiimes by those 

 of "wire grass," and "crab grass." It ia 

 common in lanes and wood-yaids ;■ but is seldom 

 seen in meadows or pastures, in Pennsylvania. 



M. Digitaria sanguinaiis. Scop. — This is com- 

 monly called "finger grass," and •' crab grass," 

 or " crop grass." \\ is rather troublesome in our 

 gardens and corn-fields ; and is said lo be par- 

 ticularly annoying lo the southern planters. 



15. Setaria glauca, Beaitv.— Known by the name 

 ol' fox tail" — a worthless crass, generally abun- 

 dant in wheat stubble, after harvest. 



16. Bromus secalinus, L. — Commonly called 

 "cheat," in Pennsylvania: and in the northern 

 etatesi " «A«««." A «r«II known intrud«r ia 



