(SRASS IS KINO. 67 



Of tlu! stiiplo (!ro|).'- Mu! Unitod Slates, tlui <fmss fiimily «'(ni- 

 tiiiiis iiboiit llvc-sixtli . till' total vahu". 



Tlu! cereals and the ])astiire «,'rasses the world over, are of more 

 value to iium and his doini'stie animals than all other [dants 

 taken together! \'astly moi'e than half of the value to man of 

 all ve<,n'tation helonys tooiu' family, the ;i,rasses. "(irass is king. 

 It rules :ind ,<j;overns the world, it is the very foundation of all 

 eomnmree. without it tluM'arth would he a barren waste, iind cot- 

 ton, gold, and comnM^'ceall dead." — Solon Wohiiison.) 



(irasses are remarkably and evenly distributeil in uciirly all 

 jiarts of the habitabh^ globe, in every soil, in society with ut hers 

 and alone ; under thee(|uator or in ( Ji'i'enland, wherever UK-ist lire 

 iiiid sullicient he;it favors tin* earth, tlien^ grasses ar«i a leading 

 fe;it lire of ilu' flora. 



Ill the whole worlil the family ranks fifth in size; the Cinii- 

 positd' ranking first, the LcniiniiiKisa' second, tli*^ Orrhiildrni^ 

 third, the Rnhi(tir(i' f(»iirth. the (1 ni mi new fifth. This dites not 

 convev an ade(|iiiifii idea of the value or number of i;rasses in 

 uiiwooded rt-gioiis. because the number of individuals i»f many of 

 them is execu'dingly largt'. Doubtless tlu're are more individual 

 liianfs ill the grass family thiin are found in ;ill of the others 

 iiiinu'd al)ove. 



!n the words of Dr. Hessey. of Nebraska: 



"When w(( conui to tlu^ in(|uiry as to wliat ])roi)ortioii of jilants 

 of a given ari^a aro grasses, we find the number varying very 

 much from those just given. For example, in forest regions the 

 actual number of grass i)laiits is much lower than it is in llus 

 same region after the forests have been iiartiuUy cut off; and if 

 again we compare the latter with the jirairies we observe a still 

 greater iu*>rea8e. There are many groat tracts in Nebraska, miles 

 and miles in extent, over whose whole surface the grasses eonsti" 

 tute fully nine-tenths of the actual vegetation." 



