(100) 



luxuriance on the "Balds" of that range and on the top of 

 the Roan Mountain that we had never seen elsewhere, but 

 Prof. Chickering, of Washington City, recognized them as 

 similar to those seen on Mt. Washington and in Canada. 

 There were poa annua, the spear grass of Maine, but com- 

 mon on low lands in the State; agrostis perennans, or thin 

 grass, a plant peculiar to marshy places; phleum alpinum, 

 earex juncea, a rush looking sedge, or rather a grass-like 

 sedge; aira flexuosa, or wood hair grass, an ornamental 

 grass of the Northern latitudes; danthonia compressa, or 

 wild oat grass, and triselum molle, or downy persoon. Be- 

 sides these were many others not determined by any of the 

 botanists in the company. These grasses afford an immense 

 pasturage during the summer to vast herds of cattle that are 

 driven by the citizens for miles around to summer on them. 

 Gen. Wilder, who owns a large section of land there, informed 

 us the grass, when enclosed from the stock, grew to the 

 height of four feet. Very many varieties existed, all grow- 

 ing promiscuously together. This goes far to show the 

 great difference of the development of the species in different 

 local iiies, for at lower altitudes, with the exception of the 

 earex juncea, these grasses grow quite low. 



TIMES AND MANNEB OF SOWING. 



Up to 1810 the almost invariable rule among all farmers 

 was to sow grass seeds in the spring of the year on crops of 

 grain. Since that time the practice has changed to a great 

 extent, and while some still adhere to spring sowing, the 

 great majoritv of farmers sow in the early fall. Some few 

 sow grass alone, but the most of them sow with some kind 

 of grain. The former is most decidedly the best, and should 

 in every possible case be practiced. There are many who 

 contend it is much better to sow alone, as the half crop that 

 will be harvested the next year is fully equivalent to the 

 value of the grain crop, while if the two are sown together, 



