AgricnltiiTe is tho most Healthy and Honorable, as it is the most Natural and Useful pursmt of Man. 



VOL. XL 



ROCHESTER, N. Y. — APRIL, 1850. 



NO. 4. 



THE ANALYSIS AIJD STUDY OF GRASSES. 



Vert few farmers duly appreciate the value of grass 

 when turned to the best possible account. Broad 

 acres have been loo cheap, vi'ith their almost spon- 

 taneous herbage ready to be cropped by tlie domesti- 

 cated animals of man, in this country, for him to 

 study closely how to make two spires grow where 

 only one grew before. In all the older States, how- 

 ever, this native abundance of nutritious forage and 

 grazing is either gone or fast departing, never to 

 return except through the art and science of the 

 husbandman. The time has come wh-^n the study 

 of the grasses is called for by every consideration of 

 private interest and the public good. 



In his account of the " Geographical Distribution 

 of Grasses," Schouw remarks: " Persoo.n's Synopsis 

 contains 812 species — l-26th part of all the plants 

 therein enumerated. In the system of Riemkr and 

 Snn;LTEs thero are 1800 ; and since this work, were 

 it brought to a conclusion, the family would probably 

 contain forly thousand in all." This learned author 

 adds : " The distribution of cultivated grasses is one 

 of the most interesting of all subjects. It is deter- 

 mined not merely by climate, but depends on the 

 civilization, industry, and traffic of the people, and 

 often on liistorical events." The herdsmen of Suit- 

 zerland find pastures for their cattle on mountain 

 slopes above the range of forests : and the same is 

 true on the high plateau of Central Asia.* One of 

 the most valuable books for reference, on this and all 

 kindred topics, is Prof. Lindlev's " Vegetable King- 

 dom" — a work which will pay well to re-print in 

 this country. Prof. Emmo.ns has given the results 

 of his analyses of several varieties of grasses grown 

 in the United States, and of red and white clover, in 

 his "Agriculture of New York," which furnish many 

 new and valuable facts. On page 70, Vol. 2, he says: 



"Timothy Grass. (Phlaim prateiisis.j — Firat 

 specimen, collected May 20, 1848. Stalk 34 inches 

 long, head not visible. 



Prsportions — Stalk, 65.30 



I^af, 34.70 



100.00 



Water ill stalk, 81.00 



Dry matter, 17.80 



Ash, 1.20 



Agh calculated dry, 6.74 



Water in the leaf, 75.00 



Dry matter, 23.00 



• See Humboldt's Travels, Vol. 3d. 



i Ash 2.00 



I .Ash calculated dry, 8.69 



Water in the whole pl.mt, 78.00 



Dry matter in the whole plant,.. 20.46 



Ash, ' 1.60 



.A.sh calculated dry, 7.82" 



.As specimen No. 2 varies little from the above, we 

 omit it. 100 parts of the ash of timothy hay gave 

 the following results : 



Silica, 4 1 .650 



Phosphates, 16.925 



Carbonate of lime, 0.200 



Magnesia, 0.5U0 



Potash, 30.760 



Soda 1.020 



Soluble silicn. 0.200 



I'hloride of sodium, 2.49U 



Sulphuric acid, 4.1.t0 



97.875 

 By the above figures it will be seen that over 72 

 per cent, of the earthy matter removed from a meadow 

 or pasture in the plant called timothj', is silica and 

 potash — both of which are of course dissolved in 

 water before they enter the roots of the plant. The 

 stems of all grasses are large consumers of these 

 minerals, which in a soluble condition are seldom 

 abundant in any soil. As in wheat, rye, oats, barley, 

 and maize straw, the quantity of ash varies consider- 

 ably in different samples grown on unlike soils, so in 

 timothy, red top, orchard, and other cultivated grasses, 

 the proportion of earthy matter varies in an equal 

 degree. Nearly all meadows contain several species 

 of this numerous family of social plants, besides more 

 or less of clover. Probably G per cent, of ash per 

 100 lbs. of dry hay will bo a fair estimate. This 

 gives 120 lbs. per ton of hay removed from the soil. 

 The ash of Run Top (Agrustis V'ulgaria) diflers 

 essentially from th'at of timothy. It contains much 

 less potash and far more lime, as the following 

 analysis by Prof. Emmons indicates : 



Silica, 41.90 



Phosphates, 1 3.75 



Potash, 4.92 



Chloride sodium, (salt,) 2.00 



Carbonate of lime, 10.03 



Magnesia 6.64 



Soda. 9.6J 



Organic matter, 2.35 



Sulphuric arid, 7.30 



98.50 

 From the quantity of lime, sulphuric acid, and soda 

 in the above ash, it is appamnt that gypsum and 



