FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES. 83 
riantly even in beech woods, where the | 
roots are superficial, in the crotches of 
roots and close to the trunks of trees. 
The hay is of high quality, and the 
young grass contains a larger per cen- 
tage of nutritive digestable matter than 
any other grass. 
It thrives well without | 
any renewal on the same ground for 
thirty-five, nay forty years; how much 
longer, I am not able to say. It is 
easily exterminated when the land is 
desired for other crops. Is there any 
other grass for which so much can be 
said? 
RED TOP GRASS. 
(Agrosis Vulgaris.) 
This is the best grass of England, 
the herd grass of the Southern States ; 
not in honor of any man, but probably, 
because so well adapted tothe herd. It | 
is called also Fine Top, Burden’s and 
Borden’s Grass. Varying greatly in 
characters, according to soil, location, 
climate and culture, some botanists 
have styled it 4. Polymorpha. It grows 
two to three feet high, and I have mown 
it when four feet high. It grows well 
on hill tops and sides, in ditches, gullies 
and marshes, but delights in moist 
bottom land. It is not injured by over- 
flows, though somewhat prolonged. In 
marshy land it produces a very dense, 
strong network of roots capable of sus- 
taining the weight of men and animals 
walking over it. 
It furnishes considerable grazing dur- 
ing warm “‘spells’’ in winter and in 
spring and summer an abundant supply 
of nutrition. It has a tendency, being 
very hardy, to increase in density of 
growth and extent of surface, and will 
continue indefinitely, though easily 
subdued by the plow. 
Cut before maturing seed, it makes a 
good hay and large quantity. It seems 
to grow taller in the Southern States 
than it does further North, and to make 
more and better hay and grazing. Red 
Top and Timothy, being adapted to the 
same soil and maturing at the same 
time do well together, and produce an 
excellent hay. But the Red Top will 
finally root out Timothy, and if past- 
ured much it will do so sooner. 
Sow about two bushels (28 lbs.) per 
acre, if alone, in September, October, 
February, or March; if with Timothy 
for hay, from 6 to 10 pounds; if with 
other grasses for pasture, 3 to 5 pounds. 
It is an excellent pasture grass, and 
will grow on almost any kind of soil. 
KENTUCKY BLUE GRASS. 
(Poa Pratensis.) 
This is also called smooth meadow 
grass, spear grass, and green grass, all 
three very appropriate, characteristic 
names. But Blue is a misnomer for 
this grass. It is not blue, but green as 
| grass, and the greenest of grasses. The 
| P.compressa, flat-stalked meadow grass, 
wire grass, blue grass is blue, ‘the true 
blue’ grass from which the genus re- 
ceived its trivial name. 
Kentucky blue grass, known also in 
the Eastern States as June grass, al- 
though esteemed in some parts of 
America as the best of all pasture grass- 
| es, seems not to be considered very 
ison rich land. 
valuable among English farmers except 
in mixtures. It is certainly a very de- 
sirable pasture grass however. Its very 
narrow leaves, one, two or more feet 
long, are in such profusion, and cover 
the ground to such depth with their 
luxuriant growth, that a mere descrip- 
tion could give no one an adequate idea 
of its beauty, quantity, and value; that 
On poor, sandy land, 
it degenerates sadly, as do other things 
uncongenially located. 
Perennial, and bearing cold and 
drought well, it furnishes grazing a large 
partofthe year. Itis specially valuable 
