25-2 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER 



FSB. I", lg41. 



Since the discussion was held at the State House 

 upon Grasses, an intelligent farmer has drawn our 

 attention to an article in No. 1, vol. viii., 1824, of 

 the Agricultural Journal, edited by the Trustees of 

 the Massachusetts Society for the Promotion of 

 Agriculture, to which work their late president, 

 John Lowell, most beneficially contributed. The 

 notices of the seasons by the " Roxbury Farmer," 

 will long be recollected by all cultivators who 

 have read our agricultural journals. As request- 

 ed, -we most cheerfully republish the article above 

 referred to. 



GRASSES. 



BY HON. JOHN WEI.I.FS. 



In the Agricultural Journal of January last, I 

 ffered some observations on grasses, and gave thu 

 lesult of an experiment shewing their loss by e.\- 

 siccation or the process of drying, in the summer 

 of 1623. This subject has been pursued during 

 the past season, and still farther extended. The 

 variation, in the comparison of the two years, 

 is not, it is appreliended, greater, (except in one or 

 two instances which will be explained) than will 

 often occur from the nature of the soil, difference 

 of season, closeness of vegetation, exposure to the 

 eun. &c. &c. As far as a general principle may 

 be established by experiment, it will, in some de- 

 gree, go to fix the relative value of our natural 

 crrassp"s, as they prevail in our pastures, or of tliose 

 artificial grasses which should be selected as fit 

 objects of cultivation. In collecting these several 

 species, I have found the natural grasses which 

 generally prevail in this neighborhood, so few in 

 number, that a short and yet sufBcient description 

 of them could be most properly first given with 

 advantage. 



The earliest grass we have is the Avena spicata 

 (Linn.)or spiked oat grass. It is peculiarly indi- 

 genous to the United Stales, and grows, it is said, 

 as far south as Georgia. This grass ripens so 

 early that it mostly sheds its seed, and thus repro- 

 duces itself, and is widely propagated. For this 

 reason, as well as from its short growth, it is unde- 

 serving of culture, yielding little to the scythe. 

 But it is of great value for early feed in our natu- 

 ral pastures, in which it abounds. One hundred 

 pounds cut on the 15tli July last, gave fifty pounds 

 of hay. 



The next grass which we shall mention is the 

 Poa pratensis, (Linn.) with us falsely called Red 

 top, a color it never has. This, both in Europe 

 and America, is the common and prevailing grass 

 of the pastures. It grows in almost every soil and 

 situaticm, and is one of those materials which, as 

 that excellent botanist, Mr Nuttall, of Cambridge, 

 informs me, is used in Europe for the manufacture 

 of bonnets. The color of its top, or panicle, is of 

 a yellowi-h brown. The number of florets in the 

 spike vary from three to five. The seed is some- 

 times saved and sown ; but these fine spired grasses 

 have so minute a seed, that, either from exposure 

 to dampness and fermentation, or some other causes, 

 which it is difficult to prevent or discover, they too 

 often fail of vegetating, by which great injury and 

 disappointment occurs in the wished-for crop. — 

 Tiiough this grass is nniongst those which lose the 

 least in drying, yet, as it, presents little to the 

 scythe, it cannot be recommended for culture. It 

 is excellent in our pastures, and comes in naturally 

 as the artificial grasses go out of our mowing lots. 

 Indeed it has a preference with our farmers gener- 

 ally, for horned cattle, over every other grass. One 



hn-ared pounds cut July 17, gave fortysix pounds. 

 It was past flowering. 



The notice of our prevailing natural grasses 

 might liere be closed, but as the grasses which we 

 shall next describe appear in our pastures, as well 

 as our cultivated grass land, and are mentioned by 

 several writers in answer to the question proposed 

 by the Society, as to "what natural grasses prevail 

 in this part of the country," we shall give their de- 

 scri|ition liere. 



The grass here called Rhode Island, is the Agros- 

 tis alba, (Linnmus) the Marsh Bent grass of Eng- 

 land, or the Agrostis stolinifera, Schrador, German. 

 Mr Nuttall, to whom I exhibited a sample, pronoun- 

 ces it the famous Florin grass of Dr. Richardson 

 and the Irish agriculturists, on the authority of 

 Hooker, who describes "the panicle thereof as pur- 

 ple, and the branchlets patent." The color, at first 

 of the branchlets is of a deep red, and they adhere 

 closely to the spike, but as they flower they be- 

 come patent and change to a lighter purple. This 

 grass has six to eight branchlets, and flowers mure 

 fully than the Poa pratensis though often confound- 

 ed therewith. It is amongst those which lose least 

 by evaporation, and would be a more favorable ob- 

 ject of cultivation, were it not liable to the same 

 uncertainty as to its vegetating and producing a 

 crop as the preceding grass, and, from probably a 

 like cause. In Ireland it is said to suit a wet soil, 

 and to produce over six tons to the acre. In this 

 country it does not flourish in such soil, nor does 

 it give a great crop, especially compared with the 

 Herds grass. Still the hay is very excellent, and 

 pel haps not exceeded by any other for its intrinsic 

 value in nutriment. One hundred pounds in early 

 flower, cut July 17th, gave forty pounds. 



The grass, in the answer given to the Society 

 called Cambridge, Dog and Garden grass, is tlie 

 Triticum r'pens. Dr. Elliot calls it the "hurtful 

 blue or Dutch grass." In England it is called 

 couch, knot, or dog grass. Every joint of its root 

 produces a new plant, and it is said to bo there, as 

 it is found here, one of the worst weeds and most 

 difficult to extirpate. It resembles wheat, of which 

 it is a species. The best mode to destroy it is to 

 keep the lands longer under the plough, with a 

 frequent use of the hoe, as where this is not done, 

 two years plougliing only not merely multiplies, 

 hut occasions it to engross the whole soil. It has 

 a hard woody fibre and is disliked by cattle. It 

 flourishes mostly near cow-,ards, and gardens, and 

 is called Cambridge, from its abounding on the 

 salt banks of the Charles river. One hundred 

 pounds cut July 22d, in late flower, gave forty- 

 eight pounds. 



The grasses above described are those which 

 prevail in our uplands, and are indigenous here. 

 They are, probably, most of them what Dr. Elliot, 

 in his Field Husbandry, denominates English Spear 

 grass, and speaks of as natural to the soil and more 

 hardy. The term English has been applied to our 

 upland hay, ever since the settlement of the coun- 

 try. These, with the red and white clover, and 

 the varieties which nature, in a course of culture, 

 or otherwise, produces, are what give verdure and 

 fertility to the face of the earth. 



Of the cultivated grasses, the first in importance 

 is the Herds or Timothy grass, Phleum pratense 

 (LinUEeus.) Dr. Elliot says '' it is a native, and 

 early discovered in this country by a man of the 

 name of Heard, in Piscataqua." It is doubtless 

 admirably suited to our soil and climate, and not 

 only flourishes in uplands, but may be sowed to 



advantage in low grounds, especially when drained > 

 or raised with gravel or loom. It often attains in 

 heiglit five feet, and has been known to produce ^ 

 over four tons to the acre. It does not yield much 

 till the second and third years. For which reason 

 it is sown with clover, which being biennial and of 

 shorter duration, gives it space to succeed. In 

 this vicinity, such is the preference given to it, 

 that it sells at about one fourth more than any oth- 

 er hay. It lasts, with one or two top-dressings, 

 six to seven years. The answers to the inquiries 

 of the Society as to the quantity of seed sown, are 

 two to six quarts. There should not bo less seed 

 than half a bushel to an acre, which later experi- 

 ence establishes most decidedly. One hundred 

 pounds cut July llth, gave thirtvnine. 



Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is a most valua- 

 ble grass : when cut green, it affords an excellent 

 nourishment for cattle in the soiling process, as 

 well as for swine. When made into hay, cattle 

 are exceedingly fond o; it. The flower and leaves 

 are apt to separate from the stem, tor which reason 

 great care should be taken that it is not made brit- 

 tle by too much exposure to the sun. It is best 

 cured, as far as may be, in cock, and should be 

 carted after the dew begins to fall. When pro- 

 perly dried, salt is used advantageous y, as it may 

 be housed with safety, more green than any other 

 hay. '1 his prevents fermentation and heating, and 

 it is kept in better order. Many in this vicinity 

 not only salt their clover, but all other hay. Lord 

 Siinierville observes that he " uses half a bushel of 

 salt to a ton, and its benefit si:ipasses all belief, 

 producing the best possible effect in color, flavor, 

 and general result ;" with damaged hay, he sjys 

 " it is a great restorative." 



The benefit of salt in the cultnre of the soil be- 

 ing now so generally acknowledged, and the use 

 ol it so necessary for cattle in the interior or re- 

 mote from the sea coast, it is difficult to assign a 

 reason why its use is not more prevalent. To land 

 highly manured, two to four pounds of seed in this 

 neighborhood is used. But in the interior some 

 apply eight rounds, and many more. One hundred 

 pounds cut July Mth, gave twentyfive pounds. 



The white clover (Trifolium repens,) is an abid- 

 ing grass, sending out roots from every joint, and 

 forming a close mat on the ground, and is very 

 excellent fir pastures. But it is found to afford so 

 little to the scythe as to discourage the culture 

 thereof. One hundred pounds cut June 26th, gave 

 twentyseven pounds. 



Of the grasses which grow in our meadows two 

 only have been tried. The fowl meadow, which 

 Dr. 'Uliot supposed to have been brought to Ded- 

 ham by birds, is said to be the Poa nemoralis or 

 marsh meadow grass of England. 



It is an excellent grass and deserving of culture. 

 It is believed, however, to have extended itself 

 more by its shedding its seed early than by any 

 artificial means. One hundred pounds cut July 

 23, gave fiftythree pounds. 



Tlie common grasses of our wet meadows it is 

 believed, are various kinds of caref. This in all' 

 its varieties is a |)Oor grass, and where the land can 

 be ditched and made to produce a better growth, 

 the means should be taken. It is a bad economy 

 to flood lands with mere water for a long time, to 

 increase a nearly worthless burthen. The effect 

 is to destroy all sweet nutritive tender pbnts — 

 One hundred pounds cut SUd July, gave fortyfour 

 pounds. 



The "Marine Fox-tail grass," which is the pre- 



