90 THE GRASSES OF TENNESSEE. 



for stock, but rather as it has been lauded by some writers 

 as a good food, to expose its worthless and deleterious effects 

 when once engrafted on our fields. 



We have given in the " Wheat Culture of Tennessee," a 

 resume of its history and character more fully than will be 

 necessary here, to which the reader is referred. 



The grasses of this series are coarse, with large spikelets, 

 generally, when ripe., A few years ago this terrible pest was 

 heralded by a great many agricultural papers as being a 

 fine hay for cattle, and the seed was advertised and 

 sold at enormous prices. The public, always anxious to be 

 humbugged, and ready to get a crop without adequate work, 

 readily took the bait, and it at once became popular. A 

 Mr. Willard was mainly instrumental in giving popularity 

 to this scheme, and hence, fastened his name to it. Several 

 agricultural societies lent their influence to the humbug, 

 and so it ran its short course of popularity. In fact, it is 

 only eaten by cows when they can get nothing else. It has 

 some nutritious properties about it, as has almost every other 

 kind of grass, but its injury to the farm far surpasses any 

 supposed virtues it may possess. The seed is a mere point 

 of albumen, sheathed in such a matting of hulls as to be 

 almost impervious to moisture. Placed below the vivify- 

 ing influence of the sun and air, it will remain uninjured 

 in the earth many years, and then when, by stirring the 

 ground, it is brought to a germinating depth, it will at once 

 raise its baleful head, as if triumphant at its victory over 

 man. 



Thus, when once introduced into a farm, it is years before 

 it can be destroyed, in fact this can only be done by persistent 

 cultivation. It will ruin wheat, both by impairing its 

 quality, and hence its sale, and also by appropriating the 

 fertilizing qualities of the soil, which should go to the sus- 

 tenance of the wheat. 



A common error, that it belongs to the same order as 

 wheat or triticum may be exposed at once by reference -to 



