XII 



GRASSES OF MINOR IMPORTANCE 



OME of the grasses discussed in this chapter are 

 the most important grasses of Europe. It is 

 somewhat difiScult to account for the lack of 



appreciation they find among our farmers. 



MEADOW-FESCUE AXD TALL FESCrE 

 (^Festuca pratensis and var. elatior) 



Meadow-fescue is f requentlj- 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 verj- different grass (^Poa compressa) is called 

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

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

 glasses of England and the Continent of Europe, being 

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

 peatedlj- 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 yield so well as timothj*. 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 



