38 THE GRASSES 



CHAPTER IV. 



DESIRABLE QUALITY OF GRASSES HOW TO ESTABLISH 

 PASTURES AND MEADOWS MAINTENANCE AND IM- 

 PROVEMENT OF MEADOWS WHAT KIND OF MANURES 

 TO USE. 



Grasses, as they are to be cut for hay or fed off by stock, 

 are called meadow grasses or pasture grasses. By their 

 structure some grasses are fitted only for the meadow, while 

 others are fitted only for the pasture ; a few are suited to 

 both uses. Grasses with tuberous roots are purely meadow 

 grasses. It is the nature of such plants to store up in their 

 bulbs one year the material of growth for the next. It re- 

 quires therefore a certain time for maturing the bulbs, and 

 they must not be interfered with when formed. Manifestly 

 cattle cropping over a field would prevent the formation of 

 bulbs, or, if already formed, would soon destroy them, 

 either by tramping or biting off their crowns. Timothy is a 

 type of this grass. For the meadow it is almost without a 

 rival for permanent pasture it is scarcely worth sowing. 

 Again, among meadow grasses some are valued on account 

 of the amount of nutritious seed they yield, as is the case 

 with timothy, while others, as redtop or herds grass are 

 principally valued for their forage. 



A pasture grass needs the property of springing up rap- 

 idly after being bitten down and resisting the tramping of 

 cattle. Blue grass is the best known type of the pasture 

 grass. 



A few grasses, if left to themselves, grow rank, form 

 thick bunches or tussocks, and get hard and tough, but if 

 sown along with other grasses that crowd them remain 

 slender and tender. Such is orchard grass, which also 

 submits to frequent and close cropping, and is therefore an 

 excellent pasture, as well as good meadow grass. 



