XII 



GRASSES OF MINOR IMPORTANCE 



ME of the grasses discussed in this chapter are 

 the most important grasses of Europe. It is 

 somewhat difficult to account for the lack of 

 appreciation they find among our farmers. 



MEADOW-FESCUE AND TAIJ, FESCUE 

 (Festuca pratensis and var. elatior) 



Meadow-fescue is frequently called ' ' English blue- 

 grass ' ' an unfortunate name, since it leads to confu- 

 sion; it is not a near relative of our blue-grass. And 

 another very different grass (Poa compressa) is called 

 ' ' Canadian blue-grass, ' ' and sometimes ' ' English blue- 

 grass." Meadow-fescue is one of the most important 

 grasses of England and the Continent of Europe, being 

 rivaled there only by the rye-grasses. It has been re- 

 peatedly urged upon the American farmer, but he has 

 persistently refused to grow it. Some of the reasons for 

 this are as follows : In most of the region adapted to it 

 in this country it does not yield so well as timothy. Its 

 seed is costly, and it requires more to seed an acre than 

 it does of timothy. In addition to this, meadow- 

 fescue seed is not nearly so reliable as that of timothy, 

 and is more adulterated, for there are many other seeds 



176 



