MEADOW FOX-TAIL. 35 



proportion of foilage than most of the perrennial 

 varieties. From the quantity and length of its stalks 

 and culms, this sort has been considered as yielding 

 a greater bulk of crop the first season and so better 

 suited for single crops of hay than the perrennial 

 sorts^ but the result of experiments tend to show that 

 the quantity of root and stalk leaves which these 

 last produce fuUy compensatetes^for any deficiency 

 which may arise from the weight of their culms, be- 

 -sides rendering the hay less wiry and more palatable 

 ihan that of the Annual Rye Grass. 



CHAPTER VI. 



MEADOW FOX-TAIL. 



Alopecurus Pratensis — Specific Character. 



Culm, upright, smooth, 2 to 3 feet high; palet 

 equaling the acute glumes; awn protruding more 

 than half its length, twisted; the upper leaf much 

 shorter than its inflated sheath. The spike not so 

 long as that of timothy which it very much resem- 

 bles, the spike of Meadow Fox TaU is soft, while 

 that of timothy is rough. It flowers in May and 

 ripens seeds in July. 



Way's Analysis. 



100 parts as taken green from the field, June 1st, 



Water 80.20 



Albuminous or flesh forming principles 2.44 



Patty matters .52 



Heat producing principles, starch, sugar, gum, etc. . . 8.59- 



Woody fibre 6.70 



Mineral matter or ash 1.55 



100.00 



