Part I.— RHODE ISLAND BENT AND RELATED GRASSES. 



By Chables V. Piper, Agrostologist in Charge of Forage-Crop Investigations. 

 INTRODUCTION. 



''Rhode Island bent" as the name of a grass appeared in American 

 agricultural hterature at least as early as 1790 (4, p. 123)^ and its 

 modification "Rhode Island grass" as early as 1841 (17, p. 115). 

 Perhaps no other grass has given rise to more confusion regarding 

 its identity, both in commercial use and in botanical pubhcations. 

 The reason for this hes largely in the fact that many species and 

 subspecies of bent grasses, the botanical genus Agrostis, are very 

 similar to one another and consequently are much confused, even 

 in botanical works. 



The treatments by different botanists of the species and varieties 

 centering about common redtop {Agrostis alba L. of most botanists) 

 are much involved. Some of the confusion is due to the different 

 opinions held by botanists as to the systematic value of the numerous 

 forms described, but the matter has become more entangled by 

 errors in the application of the names, both common and technical. 

 The subject of botanical names is of interest primarily to botanists, 

 but it has caused some confusion in the seed trade also and conse- 

 quently in the culture of the bent grasses. The most noteworthy 

 recent attempt to clarify the nomenclature is that of Ascherson 

 and Graebner (1, p. 172-183). In Europe, however, many more 

 varieties occur than in America, so the subject is correspondingly 

 more complex. 



From the agronomic standpoint it is necessary to consider only 

 the forms which are utihzed in agriculture or the seeds of which 

 have been handled commercially. These forms are six in number, 

 as f oUows : 



Redtop (Agrostis palustris Huds.; Agrostis alba L. of most botanists), the most 

 valuable species of bent for agricultural use. This grass is too coarse to make really 

 fine turf. Tbe commercial seed is grown in the United States, mainly in Illinois. 



Florin {Agrostis maritima Lamarck; Agrostis stolonifera var. latifolia Sinclair), 

 formerly a much-exploited grass, propagated vegetatively, the seed never having been 

 gathered commercially. It occurs along the North Atlantic coast in America as well 

 as in Europe. 



Rhode Island bent {Agrostis tenuis Sibth.; Agrostis vulgaris With.), a much finer 

 grass than redtop and probably the most abundant grass in New England, where it 

 makes up much of the pastures. Commercial seed has been gathered principally in 

 Rhode Island, but in recent years only to a very limited extent. 



I The serial numbers in parentheses refer to "Literature cited," p. 14. 



