906 THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. BOOK x. 



.axis. Tne silvery grey colour of the ear is largely due to the silky 

 hair or bristle (the awn), which springs from the solitary flower within 

 each spikelet. The leaves are soft, green, succulent, and very 

 numerous ; they are long, broad, and strongly veined. Foxtail throws 

 up much herbage in the early spring, and thus affords valuable grazing 

 at a period before man}' of the other grasses are read}\ Though a 

 tall fine grass it is less robust than cocksfoot ; at the same time it is 

 less unsightly. 



A perennial grass, of early growth, and affording abundance of 



Fig. 398. Meadow Foxtail. 



Alopecurus pratensis. 



excellent forage, this is one of the most useful species for permanent 

 pasture. Scarcely any grass resists better the cold of winter, and even 

 late frosts affect it but slightly. It appears to thrive equally well in 

 sunny and in shaded situations, and therefore grows luxuriantly in 

 orchards, where indeed its precocious growth may become well 

 advanced before leaves appear upon the fruit trees to intercept the 

 sun's rays. On thin, light soils it gradually disappears, whilst it 

 flourishes best on deep heavy lands. On damp soils and on irrigated 

 meadows it does equally well, but stagnant water is inimical to it. 



Meadow foxtail spreads itself by means of short prostrate stolons 

 given off in all directions from the base of its stem. These stolons 

 develop rootlets at intervals, and consequently this grass is quite free 



