14 THE GRASSES 



melting torrents, and scatter them, mayhap, along some for- 

 eign shore. The air also assists in this, and lifts them on its 

 wings and they fly in all directions. When grass once stands, 

 even if a passing beast cuts off its annual supply of seed, 

 its rhizomes or creeping roots thrust their tender spongioles 

 through the yielding soil, and thus, many a field is clothed 

 with verdure. And besides, many of the grasses are peren- 

 nials, and though torn and tramped by stock, they gather 

 new strength for another year, and push on their foothold. 



There is a large class of so-called grasses, purposely 

 omitted, from the fact they are but little known and of no 

 agricultural value, with only one or two exceptions. These 

 are the rushes and sedges. There are about 500 varieties 

 of those plants growing in the United States, principally on 

 the borders of salt marshes on the coast, but with the ex- 

 ception of the broom-sedge Carex scoparia, the species are 

 almost unknown in Tennessee. 



However, on the sea-coast, these plants form an important 

 part in feeding the stock ; their stems when young and ten- 

 der, are eaten by cattle, when nothing better presents itself. 

 The rushes enter also, considerably into manufactures, the 

 reeds being used for many purposes, such as chair bottoms, 

 baskets and hats. Some farmers also annually cut these 

 marsh grasses, and feed to stock during the long, severe 

 winter. It 'is commonly known as swale hay. 



Many of the large, coarse grasses that border our ponds 

 and mat in our swamps, and are looked upon as sour grasses, 

 belong to these species. They serve their purpose in elimi- 

 nating the miasmatic gases that are continually being gen- 

 erated in the ponds, from the atmosphere, thus protecting 

 man from their deleterious influences. Besides, they fringe 

 with their green, wavy heads, these collections of water, 

 giving a beauty to the otherwise repulsive swamps. 



Their roots are perennial, and with but few exceptions, 

 creeping. Hence the folly of assaying their destruction by 

 digging them up. A tuft of broom-sedge may be easily 



