91 

 Hon. J. Gould, of New York, says : 



It forms the great bulk of the sheep pastures of the highlands of Scotland, where 

 it is the favorite food of the sheep, and where the shepherds believe it to be more 

 nutritious for their flocks than any other. Gmelin says that the Tartars choose to- 

 encamp during the summer where this grass is most abundant, because they believe 

 that it affords the most wholesome food for all cattle, but especially for sheep. 

 Nature distributes it among dry, sandy, and rocky soils, where scarcely any other 

 species would grow. It is without doubt the very best of the grasses growing on 

 sandy soils. It roots deeply, and forms a dense, short turf, which adapts it admira- 

 bly for lawns and pleasure-grounds where the soil is sandy. It is almost useless as 

 a hay crop, as its leaves and culms are too fine to give a remunerative amount of 

 hay; it is only as a pasture grass on sandy soils that it is valuable, and in these, 

 when highly manured, it is driven out by the more succulent species. It is often 

 found 4,000 feet above the level of the sea. Its seeds weigh about 14 pounds to the 

 bushel. 



15. F. parviflora, Ell. North Carolina. A doubtful species. 



16. F. Richardsonii, Hook. Alaska. 



17. F. rigida, Kth. Introduced on ballast. 



18. F. rubra, Linn. Atlantic to Pacific. 



F. rubra, var. fallax, Hack. Oregon and Rocky Mountains. 

 F. rubra, var. littoralis, Yasey. Coast of Oregon. 



19. F. scabrella, Torr. Bunch grass. Rocky Mountains to Oregon, 

 A perennial grass, growing in strong clumps or bunches, and hence 



called " bunch grass." It is a native of the Rocky Mountain region, 

 from Colorado westward to California and Oregon. The culms are 

 usually 2 to 3 feet high, erect, and smooth ; the radical leaves are 

 numerous, about half as long as the culm, generally rigid, involute^ 

 and scabrous on the margins ; the blade is prone to separate when 

 old, leaving an abundance of leafless sheaths at the base ; the cauline 

 leaves are about two, short and pointed, 2 to 4 inches long; the 

 sheath scabrous, the ligule short or wanting; the panicle is usually 

 3 to 5 inches long. In Montana it is called the Great Bunch grass, 

 and is one of the principal grasses of that country. It is the pre- 

 vailing species on the foot-hills and mountain slopes at from 6,000 

 to 7,000 feet altitude. " It is rather too hard a grass for sheep, but 

 there is no grass more valued on the ' Summer ranges ' for cattle 

 and horses. It makes excellent hay for horses, and is cut in large 

 quantities for this purpose. It grows in large tussocks, making it 

 rather a difficult grass to mow with a machine." It is one of the 

 most important grasses of Eastern Oregon and Washington. 



20. F. sciurea, Nutt. Texas. 



21. F. Shortii, Kth ? Vasey. Illinois, Kentucky to Missouri. 



