XII 



GRASSES OF MINOR IMPORTANCE 



^ME of the grasses discussed in tliis chapter are 

 the most important grasses of Europe. It is 

 somewhat diflScult to account for the lack of 

 appreciation they find among our farmers. 



MEADOW-FESCUE AXD TALI. FESCUE 

 {Festuca pratensis and var. elatior) 



Meadow-fescue is frequently called ' ' English blue- 

 grass " — an unfortunate name, since it leads to confu- 

 sion; it is not a near-relative of our blue-grass. And 

 another very different grass (^Poa compressa) is called 

 ' ' Canadian blue-grass, ' ' and sometimes ' ' English blue- 

 grass." Meadow-fescue is one of the most important 

 grasses of England and the Continent of Europe, being 

 rivaled there only by the rye-grasses. It has been re- 

 peatedly urged upon the American farmer, but he has 

 persistently refused to grow it. Some of the reasons for 

 this are as follows : In most of the region adapted to it 

 in this country it does not j-ield so well as timothy. Its 

 seed is costly, and it requires more to seed an acre than 

 it does of timothy. In addition to this, meadow- 

 fescue seed is not nearly so reliable as that of timothy, 

 and is more adulterated, for there are many other seeds 



176 



