THE GRASSES— HARD FESCUE. 53 



grass on such soils that it is valuable, and in these 

 when highly manured it is driven out by the more 

 succulent species. It roots deeply, and forms a dense, 

 short turf, which adapts it admirably for lawns and 

 pleasure-grounds where the soil is sandy. 



Mr. M. J. Sutton says it is the most robust of all 

 the small fescues. The herbage is tender, succulent, 

 and much liked by all kinds of cattle. On moist and 

 rich soils it affords an immense amount of herbase. 

 It is of importance in forming a close bottom to the 

 turf amongst stronger-growing varieties, and in this 

 respect is of especial service for upland pastures. It 

 may properly be considered one of the least expensive 

 and most desirable of bases or bottom-herbage grass 

 of a permanent mixture for all soils that are not 

 very wet. 



Chas. Johnson says that it is generally regarded as 

 one of our most valuable grasses, being very productive 

 considering the slender character of its foliage, and 

 thriving in most soils - and situations. Few grasses 

 retain their verdure during the severest winter to an 

 extent so remarkable. The spring produce, however, is 

 but trifling, the foliage not attaining much length until 

 the approach of the flowering season. Meadows in 

 which it abounds should be mown when it is in flower, 

 as both bulk of produce and proportion of nutritive 

 matter are greater at that time. 



The Seed. — The great bulk of what is offered in 

 commerce is collected (we may presume for the most 

 part in a hasty and careless fashion) from plants grow- 

 ing wild in the woods and clearings, consequently it 

 contains a great many seeds of weeds in its natural 

 state. The most noticeable of weeds to be found 



