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Mr. James E. Webb, of Greensborough, Hale County, Ala., writing 
to the Department December 26, 1888, says: 
Recent experiments show that the Texas blue grass (Poa arachnifera) flourishes 
and grows here in west Alabama as finely as could be wished, and is likely ere long 
to furnish us what we so much need, a fine winter grass. With Texas blue grass, 
Melilotus and Bermuda grass, Alabama is a fine stock country. 
Mr. S. C. Tally, of Ellis County, Texas, bas sent specimens of this 
grass. He says it is abundant there, bears heavy pasturing, and makes 
a beautiful yard or lawn grass. 
Similar favorable accounts have been received from others. It is 
likely to prove one of the most valuable grasses for the South and 
Southwest. By means of its strong stolons or offshoots it multiplies 
rapidly and makes a dense, permanent sod. It produces an abundance | 
of radical leaves which often become 2 feet in length, and those of the 
culms are smooth and of good width, about 4 to 8 inches long 
and 2 lines wide. The culms are 2 to 3 feet high, each with two or 
tbree leaves, with long sheaths and blade, the upper leaf sometimes 
reaching nearly to the top of the panicle. The ligule is round and 
short, or lacerated when old. The panicleis from 3 to $ inches in length, 
rather narrow, and with short, erect branches of equal length, in clus- 
ters of from three to five, the longest seldom 2 inches, most of them 
short, some nearly sessile and profusely flowering to the base. The 
spikelets usually contain about five flowers. 
In many cases there is a remarkable development of long, silky hairs 
at the base of each flower, but sometimes these are quite absent. (Plate 
73.) 
Poa compressa (English Blue Grass; Wire Grass). 
This species has sometimes been confounded with the Kentucky blue 
grass, from which it differs in its flattened, decumbent, wiry stems, its 
shorter leaves and shorter, narrower, and more scanty panicle. It is 
found in many old pastures, on dry banks, and in open woods. The 
culms are hard and much flattened, 1 foot to 18 inches long, more or 
less decumbent, and frequently bent at the lower joints. The leaves 
are scanty, smooth, short, and of a dark, bluish-green color. The pan- 
icle is short and contracted, 1 to 3 inches long. Very contradictory 
accounts have been given as to its agricultural value, some denouncing 
it as worthless and others entertaining a good opinion of it. It thrives 
well on clay or hard, trodden, and poor soils. 
Hon. J. S. Gould says, respecting it: 
It is certain that cows that feed upon it both in pasture and in hay give more milk 
and keep in better condition than when fed on any other grass. Horses fed on this 
hay will do as well as when fed on Timothy hay and oats combined. 
These discrepant opinions may be due in part to having mistaken 
the Poa pratensis for this grass. It is probably a nutritious grass, but 
from its spare yield can hardly obtain much favor tor a hay crop. 
_ (Plate 74.) 
3594 GR——5 
