INTRODUCTORY. 5 



uent; Kentucky bluo griiss (Poa pralensia). king 

 among the pasture grasses of the northern states and 

 Canada, and Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), king 

 among the pasture grasses of the south. But six va- 

 rieties would seem worthy of a place in second rank. 

 These are orchard grass (Dactylus glomcrata), redtop 

 (^Agrostis vulgaris), Russian brome {Bromus incrmis), 

 meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis), tall oat grass (Are- 

 henatheruin avenaceum), and meadow foxtail {Alope- 

 curus pratensis). The claim of meadow foxtail to a 

 place among these six may be disputed but leaving it 

 out it wovild seem correct to say that the present needs 

 of the agriculturist in the lines of hay and pasture 

 could be pretty well met by these eight grasses. The 

 other grasses discussed are all possessed of considerable 

 value, but in the meantime would not seem worthy of 

 being placed higher than in the third rank in the little 

 array of grasses that merit the attention of the tillers 

 of the soil under American conditions. 



Plan of the Discussion. — The subject opens with the 

 discussion in Chapter II of the General Principles 

 which govern the Growing of Grasses. This was deemed 

 necessary because of the desire to give prominence to 

 the question of growth, rather than to that which re- 

 lated to structure and classification of the grasses. In 

 the judgment of the author, this chapter is the key to 

 the discussion and therefore should be given more care- 

 ful thought by the reader than any other chapter in the 

 book. 



Chapters III to XI inclusive treat of the nine grasses 

 that would seem to be possessed of highest economic 



