INTRODUCTORY. 3 



his land during all the years that he has tilled the 

 same, he has never learned the extent of the service, they 

 may be made to render him by stimulating them to high- 

 er production. Such, for instance is blue grass {Poa 

 pratensis) abused by overgrazing and neglected by be- 

 ing allowed to grow unfertilized; like Topsy in the 

 marvellous story, they just grow because they are al- 

 lowed to grow. The knowledge of these truths has 

 moved the author to write this book and if it brings any 

 added light to those who desire the same, one purpose 

 for which it has been written will have been well served. 



Students of the agricultural colleges, as well as farm- 

 ers, labor at a disadvantage with reference to the ques- 

 tion of grasses. They pursue their studies in the ab- 

 sence of a text book which tells how to grow them. 

 When this is said, it must not be interpreted in the 

 slightest degree as reflecting on the excellent books that 

 have been written in America on the grass question; 

 these were written for a different purpose. A second 

 purpose in writing this book, therefore, is to put, in the 

 hands of the agricultural student, a book that will ren- 

 der some assistance to him in the study of this involved 

 and diflBcult problem. 



Grasses Worthy of Cultivation. — The dearth of infor- 

 mation with reference to growing the more valuable 

 grasses, that are being cultivated, or that are susceptible 

 to profitable cultivation, is all the more surprising when 

 these are considered. In this book the aim has been 

 to discuss all the varieties that are considered really 

 worthy of cultivation on lands that are tilled in the 

 United States and those not yet cultivated but which 



