PREFACE. 



To some extent this volume supplements the first, though in 

 mosst respects it is an indei)endeiit work. The first volume is in- 

 teiitled more particularly for farmers and students, and comi)rise8 

 chai»ters on the jdiysiology, composition, selection, improving, and 

 cultivation of gras^^es and clovers. A few of the illustrations in the 

 lirst apply also to species descrihed in tlie .second. 



It is ten yeans, lacking less than live months, since the first vol- 

 ume was i»u]»li.shed. During this i)erio(l many collections have been 

 added to the herbarium and new ])ul»lications have a])pcared, mak- 

 iiiir it often ncccssarv to clianw and add lo tiie text. Owiiiif to the 

 nature of the W(U-k, it seemed necessary to have many specimens 

 well in mind at one time; to do this it was necessary to limit the 

 time for study to a few weeks each year. Little o]>portunity could 

 be found for this work while college classes were to be instructed; 

 besides a considerable i)ortion of the long vacation was claimed for 

 ])articipating in farmers' institutes. 



It has re(piirod some courage and jKirsistence to adhere to the 

 rtork so long, realizing fully that it must contain many defects, and 

 that pcriia[)s its chief use would be to serve as the basis for others 

 in the future to enlarge, correct, and otherwise ihi]»i*ove. 



f)riginally it was the intention that I'rol". J'\ L. Scribner should 

 furnish all the drawings and share as author of this volume, but to 

 my regret he appeared to be unable to coiu|)li'te his i)art of the 

 work. As will be seen, he furnished many of the drawings and 

 ^Irs. I). ^[. Ifichardsoji the others, with a single exception which 

 was nnido by H. (>. Longyear. Prof. Scribner furnished hints 

 for some of the artillcial keys. 



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