verdure. And besides, many of the grasses are perennials, and 

 though torn and trumped by stock, they gather new strength for 

 another year, and push on their foothold. 



There is a large class resembling the grasses in general appear- 

 ance, but very different in the physical structure and nutritive 

 elements. I allude to the rushes and sedges, of which there are 

 over five hundred varieties growing in the United States, and eighty 

 of them are found in Tennessee. What is commonly known as 

 " broomsedge " is not a sedge at all, but a true grass, while the 

 r,/*/; well-known " seed-tick " grass is a sedge. 



There is a simple method of separating the grasses from these 

 rushes and sedges, which will be briefly stated. 



The sheath of sedges is a hollow tube, through which the stems 



pass, and it cannot be removed without tearing it open. This is 



not the case with grass, as the sheath can be stripped down, it being 



open to the joint. Besides, the leaves of all grasses are two-ranked, 



that is, the stem has leaves on each side, some opposite, others 



alternate, but always only on two sides. The leaves of sedges are 



I M three-ranked, or come out on three sides of the circle of a stem. 



In other words ? the stem formsji circle of^ 360^ degrees. The grass 



~ leaves are 180 degrees from "each otherTamf the sedge leaves are 



120 degrees apart. 



In the grass-like rush the flowers are divided into six points, 

 within which are six stamens and a triangular ovary containing 

 three seeds. A grass has never but one seed to the ovary. 



The English farmer is able to take long leases of farms from the 

 rich landholder, at from $20 to $50 per annum rent. How does 

 he pay this extravagant rent and support his family ? He could 

 not do it in any other manner than by improving, manuring and 

 increasing the meadows with which they are constantly set. A 

 Tennessean will manure his garden, and sometimes his corn land; 

 but whoever thinks of spreading manure on his meadows? Yet 

 the Englishman will spend large sums of money, and devote labor 

 through the whole winter, in accumulating a large compost heap to 

 apply to his meadows! The result may be imagined. While the 

 ^ Tennessee meadows will average from 800 to 1,500 pounds of hay 

 to the acre ; English meadows will ml^eTom*'^ to five tons on 

 land that has no other advantage than the care bestowed on it by 

 the owner. J 



