910 



THE COMPLETE GRAZIER. 



BOOK X. 



,upon dry soils of good quality. It (fig. 404) is rather a surface-rooted 

 than a deep-rooted plant, is of creeping habit, and withstands drought. 

 Being a grass of earty growth it is, on that account, a valuable con- 

 stituent of dry pastures. When raised from " seed " (see fig. 407) its 

 produce during the first year is but small. This is the Kentucky 

 Blue Grass, or Pine Grass, of the United States, where it is also 

 known by the names of Green Grass, Spear Grass, English Grass, 

 and Brow-top Grass. 



ROUGH- STALKED MEADOW GRASS (Poa trivialis), formerly called 

 Orcheston Grass (fig. 405), prefers strong moist soils, and is a 

 conspicuous ingredient of the herbage of deep rich pastures. It is, 



Fig. 405. Rough Stalked 

 Meadow Grass. 



Poa trivialis. 



Fig. 406. Wood Meadow Grass. 



Poa nemoralis. 



perhaps, less hardy than Poa pratensis, and it is particularly addicted 

 to shady situations, so that in pastures and meadows where it occurs 

 it may generally be found in abundance beneath trees. Fine robust 

 specimens occasionally spring up in the rich soil of kitchen gardens, 

 especially amongst bush-fruit. Its " seed " is shown in fig. 408. 



WOOD MEADOW GRASS (fig. 406), or evergreen meadow grass (Poa 

 nemoralis), is less common than the two preceding species, whilst the 

 costliness of pure samples of the " seed " (see fig. 409) operates against 

 its extensive use for farming purposes. 



There is considerable similarity amongst the "seeds" of these three 

 Poas, see figs. 407, 408, 409. They are all " webbed " at the 

 base, those of Poa pratensis most, and those of Poa nemoralis least. 

 In the case of Poa pratensis, indeed, the woolly " webs " cause the 

 seeds to adhere together in fluffy masses. In commercial samples, 

 however, the web is often absent, having been removed by the webbing 

 machine. Amongst the impurities -or adulterants in samples of Poa 



