grasses. 1149 



field grass, beiiig very light in proportion, to its bulk. It is a valu- 

 able pasture grass-on account of its early and rapid growth and its 

 being greatly rushed by stock of all kinds. It thrives best on a 

 rich, moist, strong soil. It is superior to timothy as a permanent 

 pasture grass, enduring the cropping of sheep and cattle better, and 

 sending up a far more luxuriant aftermath. The nutritive qualities 

 of meadow foxtail are mos£ abundant at the time of flowering. It is 

 said to lose upwards of seventy per -cent of its weight in drying 

 if cut in the blossom. 



Slender Foxtail, Fig. 21, is recognized by jts long, slender 

 panicle, tapering at each end, and the long awn which projects 

 beyond the pales. It is distinguished from meadow foxtail by its 

 slender panicle, its larger spikelets, its larger ligule, and the rough- 

 ness of the stem and leaves. It possesses no particular agricultural 

 value. 



Redtop, Finetop, Burden's Grass,, Herd's Grass of Pennsylvania 

 and Southern States, Fig. 13. — This valuable grass, common in 

 all our cultivated fields, was called simply English grass by Eliot, 

 .Deane, and other early writers, and by the English, fine bent. 

 Most of the grasses of this genus are known in England under the 

 name of "bent grass," of which there are many species. Redtop 

 is often sown wjth timothy and common red clover, in which case 

 the clover, of course, soori disappears, when timothy follows, after 

 which redtop usually takes its place, and, with some wild grasses, 

 forms a close sward. In Pennsylvania' and States further south, it 

 is universally known as Herd's grass. Redtop is a tall, hardy, luxu- 

 riant perennial grass, which flourishes in moist soils, and , grows in 

 dry ones. When grown by itself, from twelve to sixteen quarts of 

 seed per acre should be used. It is not desirable for permanent 

 pastures, especially for those which are moist. 



Florin, Fig. 25,' is only a variety of English bent, which gained 

 great notoriety some years ago in Ireland and England, volumes 

 having been written in its praise, while it received the execrations 

 of those who found it troublesome to eradicate, on account of its 

 creeping and stoloniferous roots. It belongs peculiarly to moist 

 places, which are occasionally overflowed, and is sometimes* known 

 as the broad-leaved creeping bent.- In the Woburn experiments,, it 

 was found to be inferior in nutritive Value to orchard grass and 

 meadow fescue, and superior to meadow foxtail. 



The Southern, Bent, Fig. 15, is. a native of this ; country, and 

 has been highly recommended in France and England, but was very 



