188 THE GRASSES OF TENNESSEE. 



0.8; heat-formers, 10.2. The "Woburn experiments gave 

 at the rate of 13,612 pounds to the acre, cut when flowering, 

 which lost 7,046 in drying, and furnished 957 pounds of 

 nutritive extract. It is a good hay grass. 



TALL FESCUE GRASS.--(.Fes<itca elatior.) 



This is a variety of the same, naturalized from 

 Europe, and suited to a rich loam, such as is found 

 in the Central Basin. The Woburn experiments 

 show it to yield more nutritious matter per acre, when 

 cut in flower, than any other grass, cut either in flower 

 or seed. The number of pounds obtained was 51,046, which 

 weighed, when dry, 17,866 pounds, loss in* drying, 33,180 

 pounds and furnished 3,988 pounds of nutritive extract. 



There are several other fescue grasses, as the Spiked 

 Fescue, (F. loleacea), Hard Fescue, (F. duriuscula), and the 

 Nodding Fescue, (F. utans), all indigenous to this country. 

 The last two are good hay grasses, as well as the Meadow 

 Fescue. The Hard Fescue was analyzed by Way and found 

 to contain water, 69.33; flesh-formers, 3.70; fat, 1.02; heat- 

 producers, 12.46; woody fibre, 11.83; ash, 1.66. The Wo- 

 burn experiments gave as the produce of one acre, 18,376 

 pounds, cut in flower; loss in drying, 10,116 pounds; nutri- 

 tive matter, 1,004 pounds. Cut in seed, the produce 

 weighed 19,075 pounds, loss in drying, 10,481 pounds, leav- 

 ing nutritive extract, 446 po"unds. It grows well on a 

 sandy loam. The seeds weigh ten pounds to the bushel. 



COMMON REED GRASS ,~(Phragmites communis.) 



Glumes shorter than the flowers, keeled, eharp-pointed. and very un- 

 equal; rachis silky-bearded; palea slender, the lower thrice the length of 

 the upper; stiles long, grain free.— Mint. 



It grows in swamps and on the borders of ponds. It is 

 found in the Mississippi bottoms from six to twelve feet high, 

 and serves as a fringe to nearly, all the swamps of that 

 that river. At a distance it very much resembles sugar 



