136 NUTRITIVE QUALITIES. 



the panicle or head is too spreading, and not sufficiently 

 long. I have fine specimens with panicles three times 

 as long as appears in the drawing, and more in the 

 shape of a spike of Timothy. 



To ascertain the exact nutritive qualities of this grass 

 when cured as hay, a careful analysis has been made, at 

 my request, by Prof. E. N. Horsford, of Cambridge, 

 with the following result : Of water, the specimen con- 

 tained 10.42 per cent. ; ash, 5.31 per cent. ; nitrogen, 

 .55 per cent.; nitrogenous ingredients, flesh-forming 

 principles, 3.53 per cent. ; woody fibre, starch, gum, 

 sugar, <fec., 80.73 per cent. It will be seen, by reference 

 to a subsequent page, containing analyses, by Prof. 

 Way, that this grass is very far inferior to many other 

 grasses examined by him. The panicles of this grass, 

 if allowed to stand after the time of flowering, become 

 filled with ergot, or long, black spurs, issuing from 

 between the glumes, and occupying the place of grain. 

 This, if there were no other reason, would be sufficient 

 to determine that it should be cut at or before the time 

 of flowering. I have never seen rye worse affected 

 than my specimens of this grass are. The effects of 

 this mysterious disease are well known. The noxious 

 power it exerts on the system of animals, which receive 

 even a small portion of it, is oftentimes dreadful, pro- 

 ducing " most horrible gangrenes, rotting of the extrem- 

 ities, internal tortures, and agonizing death. It has 

 been known to slough and kill not a few human beings, 

 who have accidentally or inadvertently eaten grain or 

 flour infected with it." 



The flower of the reed canary grass is shown in 

 Fig. 119. The variety called striped grass ( Colorata) 

 is exceedingly hardy, and may be propagated to any 

 extent by dividing and transplanting the roots. In 

 moist soils it spreads rapidly, and forms a thick mass of 



