252 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



HON. MR. WELLES ON GRASSES. 



TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE MASSACHUSETTS AGRICUL- 

 TURAL SOCIETY. 



In the Agricultural Journal of January last I 

 offered some observations on Grasses, and gave 

 the result of an experiment shewing their loss 

 by exsiccation or the process of drying, in the 

 summer of 1822. This subject has been pur- 

 sued during the past season, and still farther ex- 

 tended. The variation, in the comparison of 

 the two years, is not, it is ap|)rehended, great- 

 er, (except in one or two instances which will 

 be explained) than will often occur from the 

 nature of the soil, ditference of season, close- 

 ness of vegetation, exposure to the sun, &.C. &,c. 

 A«.far as a general principle may be establish- 

 ed by experiment, it will, in some degree, go 

 to fix the relative value of our^natural grasses, 

 as they prevail in our pastures, or of those arti- 

 licial grasses which should be selected as lit ob- 

 jects of cultivalion. In collecting these seve- 

 ral species, I have found the natural grasses 

 which generally prevail in this neighborhood, 

 so (em in number, that a short and yet sufficient 

 description of them could be most properly first 

 given with advantage. 



The earliest grass we have is the Avena Spi- 

 cata (Liim.) or spiked oat grass. It is peculiar- 

 ly indigenous to the United States, and grows, 

 it is said, as far south as Georgia. This grass 

 ripens so early that it mostly sheds its seed, and 

 thus reproduces itself, and is widely propagat- 

 ed. For this reason, as well as from its short 

 growtli, it is undeserving of culture, yielding 

 little to the scythe. But it is of great value 

 for early feed in our natural pastures, in which 

 it abounds. One hundred pounds cut on the 

 1,5th 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 hns. This, both in Europe 

 and America, is the common and prevailing 

 grass of the pastures. It grows in almost eve- 

 ry soil and situation, and is one of those mate- 

 rials which is used in Europe for the manufac- 

 ture of bonnets. The color of its top, or pani- 

 cle, is of a yellowish brown. The number of 

 tiorets in the spike vary from three to five. — 

 The seed is sometimes saved and sown ; but 

 these fine spired grasses have so minute a seed, 

 that, either from exposure to dampness and fer- 

 mentation, 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. 

 Though this grass is amongst those which lose 

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

 the scythe, it cannot be recommended for cul- 

 ture. It is excellent in our pastures, and comes 

 in naturally as the artificial grasses go out of 

 mowing lots. Indeed it has a preference with 

 our fanners generally, for horned cattle, over 

 every other grass. One hundred pounds cut 

 July n, gave forty-six pounds. It was past 

 lowering. 



The notice of our prevailing natural grasses 

 might here 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 

 ([ueslion proposed by the Society, as to "what 

 natural grasses prevail in this part of the coun- 

 try," we shall give their description LcFe. 



The grass here called Rhode Island, is the I 

 Agrostis alba (Linnaeus) the Marsh Bent grass of 

 England, or the Agrosiis Stolinifera, Schrader, | 

 German. That excellent botanist, Mr. Nutall, 

 of Cambridge, to whom I exhibited a sample, 

 pronounced it the famous Florin grass of Dr. 

 Richardson and the Irish agriculturists, on the 

 authority of Hooker, who describes " the pani- 

 cle thereof as purple, and the branchlets pa- 

 tent." The color, at first, of the branchlets is 

 of a deep red, and they adhere closely to the 

 spike, but as they flower they become patent 

 and change to a lighter purple. This grass has 

 six to eight branchlets, and flowers more fully 

 than the Poa pratensis though often confounded 

 therewith. It is amongst those which lose 

 least by evaporation, and would be a more fa- 

 vorable object 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 perhaps not 

 exceeded by any other for its intrinsic value in 

 nutriment. One hundred pounds in early flow- 

 er, cut July 17th gave forty pounds. 



The grass, in the answer given to the Socie- 

 ty called Cambridge, Dog and Garden grass, is 

 the Triticum repens. 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 

 be there, as it is found here, one of the worst 

 weeds, and most difficult to extirpate. It resem- 

 bles 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 

 ploughing only not merely multiplies, but occa- 

 sions it to engross the whole soil. It has a hard 

 woody fibre and is disliked by cattle. It flour- 

 ishes mostly near cowyards, and gardens, and is 

 called Cambridge from its abounding on the 

 salt banks of the Charles river. One hundred 

 lbs. 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 Doctor 

 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 

 (he settlement of the country. These, with 

 the red and white clover, and the varieties 

 which nature, in a course of culture, or other- 

 wise, produces, are what give verdure and fer- 

 tility to the face of the earth. 



Of the cultivated grasses, the first in impor- 

 tance is the Herds or Timothy grass, phleum 

 pratense (Linnsus.) Doctor Elliot says " it is 

 a native and early discovered in this country 

 l)y a man of the name of Heard in Piscataqua." 

 iTis doubtless admirably suited to our soil and 

 climate, and not only flourishes in uplands, but 

 may be sowed to advantage in low grounds, es- 

 pecially when drained or raised with gravel or 

 loom. " It often attains in height five feet and 

 has been known to produce over four tons to 

 the acre. It does not yield much till the se- 

 cond and third years. For which reason it is 



sown with clover, which being biennial and 

 shorter duration gives it space to succeed, 

 this vicinity such is the preference given to 

 that it sells at about one fourth more than ai "' 

 other hay. It lasts with one or two top drt "' 

 sings six to seven years. The answers to tl 

 enquiries of the Society as to the quantity 

 seed sown, are two to six quarts. There shou 

 not be less seed than half a bushel to an acr ,'J 

 which later experience establishes most deci 

 ediy. One hundred pounds cut 11th July lai 

 gave thirty-nine. 



Red clover (trifollum pratense) is a mt 

 valuable grass, when cut green, it affords an e 

 cellent nourishment for cattle in the soilitf;. 

 process, as well as for swine. When made i 

 to hay, cattle are exceedingly fond of it. Tl 

 flower and leaves are apt to separate from tl 

 stem, for which reason great care should 

 taken that it is not made brittle by too miw 

 exposure to the sun. It is best cured as far 

 may be in cock, and should be carted after (, 

 dew begins to fall. When properly dried, s 

 is used advantageously, as it may be hous* 

 with safety, more green than any other hay, 

 This prevents fermentation and heating, and* 

 is kept in better order. Many in this vicinii 

 not only salt their clover, but all other haj^ 

 Lord Somerville observes that " he uses habl 

 bushel of salt to a ton, and its benefit surpass 

 all belief producing the best possible effect 

 color, flavor, and general result;" with daiQUf 

 ed hay, he says, " it is a great restorative." 



The benefit of salt in the culture of thew 

 being now so generally acknowledged and t 

 use of it so necessary for cattle in the interi 

 or remote from the sea coast, it is difficulttp 

 sign a reason why its use is not more prevale<| 

 To land highly manured two to four pounds 

 seed in this neighborhood is used. But in I 

 interior some apply eight pounds and 

 more. One hundred pounds cut July 6th, gai 

 twenly-five pounds. 



The white clover (trifolium repens,) is 

 biding grass, sending out roots from every jo) 

 and forming a close mat on the ground andi 

 very excellent for pastures. But it is found to 

 ford so little to the scythe as to discourage t 

 culture thereof. One hundred pounds c 

 June 26th, gave t»venty-seven pounds. 



Of the grasses which grow in our meado' ' 

 two only have been tried. The fowl mead( II 

 which Doctor Eliiot supposed to have b?|)i; 

 brought to Dedhara by birds said to be thep*ti| 

 nemoralis or marsh meadow grass of Englsyiafot 

 It is an excellent grass, and deserving ofiMj 

 ture. It is believed however to have extnl 

 ed itself more by its shedding its seed V«Lt 

 than by any artificial means. One hundredv'll|i(|| 

 cut July 2;!, gave fifty three pounds. ' liii 



The common grasses of our wet meadows |^ 

 is believed, are various kinds of carex. Tl 

 in all its varieties is a poor grass, and where ti 

 land can be ditched and made to produce ab( 

 tcr growth, the means should be taken. It is 

 bad economy to flood lands with mere wati 

 a long time to increase a nearly worthlei 

 (hen. The etfcct is to destroy all sweet 

 tive tender plants. One hundred pounds Ci 

 July, g'ivc forty-four pounds. 



The -'Marine Fox Tail grass," which is tl 

 prevailing grass of our salt marshes we recei' 

 from nature without knowing how to aid io 



