GRASSES. 



307 



grasses are in flower, (the period of growth at which 

 these are most uutritive), the whole or all the essen- 

 tial species approximate to a state of perfection as 

 to their value for hay, containing at this period less 

 water and proportionally more solid nutritive mat- 

 ter. Did tliese early flowering grasses afford more 

 nutritive food at their period of inflorescence, (as is 

 a general property ol the summer, or commonly, but 

 erroneously, called hay grasses), then in that case 

 their value would be greatly reduced, inasmuch as 

 the seeds ripen at an early season; and were the 



Pig. 3. 



culms to be reduced to nutritive properties by the 

 ripening of the seeds, all that portion of the hay 

 composed of these early grasses would be of an in- 

 ferior quality, but which in fact is just the reverse. 

 The seeds of these more valuable early flowering es- 

 sential perennial grasses are light and oten defective; 

 a circumstance which detracts from their otherwise 

 great value, because of the less facility afforded to 

 their cultivation in the increased expense of saving 

 or collecting their seeds. 



For soils of an intermediate quality as to moisture 



and dryness, the meadow foxtail is one of the most 

 valuable grasses for early growth, produce, and nu- 

 tritive properties. In all the pastures most celebra- 

 ted for fattening in England, this grass constitutes a 

 large proportion, and is found to be closely cropped 

 by the stock. There the foxtail flowers in April, 

 May, and in the beginning of June, and ripens the 

 seed in June or July, according to the season of flow- 

 ering, which depends on the nature of the soil, the 

 weather, and the site of»the pasture. 



ROUGH-STAI.KED MEADOW GRASS— POA TniviALig. (Fig. 4.1 



Fig. 4. 



Specific character of distinction.—'Pamde rather 

 spreading; spikelets three-flowered; floret lanceolate, 

 five-ribbed, connected by a web; stipula oblong; stem 

 and leaves roughish; root fibrous. 



JVote. — The sliarp-pointed sheath-scale of this spe- 

 cies of Poa distinguishes it with the greatest certain- 

 ty from the Poa pratensis, with which it is often 

 confounded. 



Dissections. — 1. Spikelet of three flowers ; 2 Ca- 

 lyx magnified; 3. Corolla; 4 Germen and feathered 

 stigma. 



