346 PRACTICAL AGRICULTURE. 



adapted for pasture than for meadows. See Complete Farm- 

 er, p. 228. 



9. Sweet-scented vernal grass, [Anthoxanthujn odoratuni), 

 and meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), are foreign 

 grasses. The former is rather scanty of herbage, and is 

 used for cow pastures ; and the latter, being much more 

 abundant in produce and nourishment, is cultivated in Eng- 

 land ; but both have been introduced into the neighborhood 

 of Boston and Philadelphia, and have now become a part of 

 the ordinary herbage of our meadows. 



10. Ryegrass [Lolium perenne) is cultivated in Scotland, 

 and the north of England; "and forms the principal seed sown 

 with clover." There are several varieties of this grass, but 

 it has not as yet flourished well in our climate. It requires 

 a moist atmosphere, and is not considered worth cultivation, 

 unless in elevated and moist places. Our best farmers in 

 New England, prefer to sow all grass seeds, with the excep- 

 tion of clover, as early as possible, after the crop in Septem- 

 ber, and after tlie land is ploughed.* 



The above are our principal grasses, but the common her- 

 bage of our meadows consists of several other varieties. Sev- 

 eral species also are cultivated in other countries, but are not 

 of sufficient importance to need further notice in this connec- 

 tion. In conclusion, we would call the attention of our far- 

 mers to the improvement of their swamps for natural meadows. 

 It can be shown, that such lands are most valuable for this 

 purpose, and may be made to yield a profit from twenty to 

 fifty dollars per acre annually. 



Sect. 2. Relation of Farm Stock to the Cultivated Crops. 



The subject of farm stock, is intimately related to the cul- 

 tivation of farm crops. The one cannot well flourish without 



* vSee Fourth Report of the Agriculture of Massachusetts, p. 233. 



