GRASS 



cules become distended just, in time to spread the 

 plumes and liberate the stamens. 



(trasses are not so much employed for ornamenting 

 homes as their merits warrant. By selecting, some can 

 be found suited to every week of the growing season, 

 though many of them are in their prime during June, 

 the month of roses. Wild rice (Zizania) is fine for rich 

 soil in the margins of ponds, and masses of reed grass 

 for deep beds of moist muck. For massing or for bor- 

 ders the following and others are stately: Arundo Do- 



GRASSES 



683 



984. Staminate spikelet of a Grass (maize). 



(Showing two florets, one of which (with three stamens) 

 is expanded. 1, 1, empty glumes; 2, 2, palets.' Enlarged. 



, nax, A. conspicua, maize, pampas grass, Eulalia, rib- 

 bon grass, Andropogon formosus, A. Halepensis, As- 

 perella Hystrix,Tripsa.cum. For glaucous blue-green, 

 use Elymus arenarius, Festtica glauca and Poa ccesia. 

 For potting and borders, there are striped varieties of 

 Dactylis, Anthoxanthum, Alopecurus, Holcus lanatus, 

 H. mollis, Poa trivialis, Phleum pratense; and others 

 may soon be produced. For table decoration nothing 

 is better than the elegant, airy panicles of large num- 

 bers of wild Grasses, such as species of Poa, Kosleria, 

 Eatonia, Panicum, Paspalum, Eragrostis, Muhlenbergia, 

 Bromus, Festuca, Agrostis, Deschampsia, Uniola, Briza, 

 Cinna pendula. For large halls and exhibitions, what 

 surpasses sheaves of wheat, barley, rice, oats or any 

 of the wild Grasses ? For decoration, Grasses should be 

 cut before ripe, dried in the dark in an upright position, 

 and maybe used in that condition or dyed or bleached. 

 For paths, nothing is more pleasing than strips of well 

 mown lawn. 



Drainage keeps out sedges and encourages the better 

 Grasses; manure and irrigation help the best Grasses to 



: choke and diminish most weeds. Enough has already 



. been done to show that rich rewards are sure for him 

 who patiently and intelligently attempts to improve 

 Grasses for any purpose whatever by selection and 

 crossing. Quack-grass is excellent for holding embank - 



' ments ; Ammophila arenaria for holding drifting 

 sands. The Grass family furnishes its full quota of 

 weeds, among them quack-grass, crab-grass, chess, 

 June-grass, sand-bur, stink-grass. 



Turf -forming Grasses are those that spread freely by 

 creeping rootstocks, such as June-grass, quack-grass, 

 Bermuda-grass, Rhode Island bent and red-top, while 

 most others are more or less bunchy. For northern 

 regions not subject to severe droughts, sow Rhode 

 Island bent and June-grass both, or either one alone; 

 for northern regions, which are liable to suffer from 

 dry weather, sow June-grass and plant Bermuda-grass. 

 These two on the same ground supplement each other in 

 lifferent kinds of weather, securing a green carpet dur- 

 ing every part of each growing season, w. j. BEAL. 



GRASSES, POPULAR NAMES OF. There are few 

 Grasses which hold commanding positions as specimen 

 plants, although the agricultural values of Grasses are 

 transcendent. Some of the commoner vernacular Grass 

 names are given below, with references to the proper 

 genera : Animated Oats, Arena. Artificial G., some- 

 times used for certain forage plants, as sorghum, but 

 also leguminous plants, as clover, lucerne, sainfoin 

 Awnless Brome G., Bromus inermis. Beach G., Am- 

 mophila arenaria. Bear G., unusual name for Yucca 

 filamentosa. Beard 6r., Andropogon; also Polypogon 

 Monspeliensis. Bengal G., Setaria Italica. BentG., 

 Agrostis. Bermuda G., Capriola Dactylon. Blue-eyed 

 G., Sisyrinchium. Blue G.,*Poa. Blue Joint G., Calam- 

 agrostis Canadensis. Bog G., Carex. Bristly Fox- 

 tail G., Setaria magna. Brome G., Bromus. Buffalo 

 G., Buchloe dactyloides. Canada Blue G., Poa com- 

 pressa. Canary G., Phalaris Canariensis. Cat-tail G., 

 Phleum pratense. China G., Boelimeria nivea. Citro- 

 nella G., Andropogon Nardus. Cotton G., EriopJiorum. 

 Couch G., Agropyrum repens. Crab G., Eleusine and 

 Panicum sangiiinale. Creeping Bent G., Agrostis stolo- 

 nifera. Crested Dog's Tail, Cynosurus cristatus. 

 Deer G., Rhexia Virginica. Dog's Tail G., Cynos- 

 urus. Eel G., Vallisneria spiralis. English Rye G., 

 Lolium perenne. Esparto G., Stipa tenaeissima. 

 Feather G., Stipa pennata. Feather Sedge G., Androp- 

 ogon saccharoides . Fescue "G., Festuca. Finger- comb 

 G., Dactyloctenium. Finger G., Chloris. Fowl Meadow 

 G.,Poa serotina. Fly Away G., Agrostis scabra. Four- 

 leaved G., PaHs quadrifolia. Foxtail G., Alopecurus 

 pratensis. Golden Top G., Lamarckia aurea. Guinea 

 Or., Panicum jumentorum ; also erroneously used for 

 Andropogon Halepensis. Hair G., Agrostis scabra. 

 Hare's Tail G.. Lagurus ovatus. Hassock G., Deschamp- 

 sia ccespitosa. Herd's Grass in New England is timothy 

 (Phleum pratense}', in Pennsylvania, Fiorin (Agrostis 

 vulgaris). Holy G., Hierochloa borealis. Hungarian 

 G., Setaria Italica. Italian Rye G., Lolium Italicum. 

 Japanese Lawn G., Zoysia pungens. Job's Tears G., 

 Coix. Johnson G., Andropogon Halepensis. June G., Poa 

 pratensis. Kentucky Blue G., Poa pratensis. Large 

 Quaking G., Briza maxima. Little Quaking G., Briza 

 minor. Love G., Eragrostis elegans. Lyme G. of up- 

 holstery is Deschampsia ccespitosa. Marram G., Am- 

 mophila arenaria. Meadow Foxtail G., Alopecurus 

 pratensis. Myrtle G., Acorus Calamus. Oat G., 

 Arrhenatherum avenaceum ; also various species of 

 Avena. Orchard G., Dactylis glomerata. Palm-leaved 

 G., Panicum sulcatum. Pampas G., Gynerium. Pep- 

 per G., Lepidium ; also Pilularia globulifera. Plume 

 G., Erianthus Ravennce. Pony G., Calamagrostis 

 stricta. Purple Bent G., Calamovilfa brevipilis. Quack, 

 Quick, or Quitch G., Agropyrum repens. Quaking G., 

 Briza. Rattlesnake G., Briza maxima. Ray G., Lol- 

 ium perenne. Red Top G., Agrostis vulgaris. Reed 

 G. f Arundo, Bamboo. Reed Bent G., Calamagrostis. 

 Reed Canary G., Phalaris arundinacea. Rescue G., 

 Bromus imioloides. Rhode Island Bent G., Agrostis can- 

 ina. Ribbon G., Phalaris arundinacea, var. variegata. 

 Rough Bent G., Agrostis scabra. Roughish Meadow G., 

 Poa trivialis . Rough- Stalked Meadow G., Poa trivialis. 

 Rye G., Lolium perenne. Sand G., Calamovilfa longi- 

 folia. Scurvy G., Cochlearia officinalis. Scutch G., 

 Capriola Dactylon. Seacoast Bent G., Agrostis coarc- 

 tata. Seneca G., Hierochloa borealis. Sesame G., Trip- 

 sacum. Sheep's Fescue G., Festuca ovina. Silk G., 

 Agrostis scabra. Silver Beard G., Andropogon argenteus. 

 Sour G., local name for Rumex Acetosella. Squirrel-tail 

 G., Hordeum. Star G., Callitriche ; also locally for 

 Hypoxis and Aletris. Striped G., Phalaris arundin- 

 acea, var. variegata. Sweet-scented Vernal G., Anthox- 

 anthum odoratum. Tall Meadow Oat G., Arrhenatherum 

 elatius. Tickle G., Agrostis scabra. Tear G., Coix 

 Lachryma-Jobi. Texas Blue G., Poa arachnifera. Timo- 

 thy, Phleum. Tufted Hair G., Deschampsia ccespitosa. 

 Vanilla G., Hierochloa borealis. Viper's G.-Scorzon- 

 era. White Bent G., Agrostis alba. Whitlow G., 

 Draba, especially D. vema&nd Saxifraga tridactylites . 

 Wood Meadow G., Poa nemoralis. Woolly Beard G., 

 Erianthus. Worm G., Spigeliai also Sedum album. 

 Yellow-eyed G., Xyris. Zebra G., Miscanthus Sin- 

 ensis. 



