POR *Ht SOUTHERN STATeS. 



89 



get out from und'er heavy cover. These 

 spears are so small as to be invisible, 

 except to close examination ; and in 

 higher latitudes, this condition con- 

 tinues through the first year. Thus, 

 some who have sown the blue grass 

 seed, seeing the first year no grass, 

 imagine they have been cheated, plant 

 some other crop, and probably lose 

 what close inspection would have shown 

 to be a good catch. This, however, is 

 not apt to occur iu the Southern tier of 



States, as the growth here is more rapid. 

 The sowing mentioned above, made on 

 the 20th of March, came up promptly, 

 and in three months the grass was from 

 six to ten inches high. One year here 

 gives a finer growth and show than two 

 in Kentucky, or any other State so far 

 North. 



Sown alone, 20 to 26 pounds, that is 2 

 bushels, should be used ; in mixtures, 4 

 to 6 pounds. 



ENGLISH OR PERENNIAL RYE GRASS 



(Lolium Perenne.) 



d^^^ 



English Rye Grass 



This is the 

 first grass cul- 

 tivated in Eng- 

 land over two 

 centuries ago, 

 and at a still 

 more remote 

 period in 

 France. It was 

 long more 

 widely known 

 and cultivated 

 than any other 

 grass, became 



adapted to a great variety of soils and 

 conditions, and a vast number (seventy 

 or more) of varieties produced, some of 

 which were greatly improved, while 

 others were inferior and became 

 annuals. Introduced into the United 

 States in the first quarter of the current 

 century, it has never become very 

 popular, although shown by the sub- 

 joined analysis of Way not to be de- 

 ficient in nutritive matter. In 100 parts 

 of the dried grass cut in bloom were 



albuminoids 11.85, fatty matters 3.17, 

 heat-producing principles 42.24, wood 

 fibre 35.20, ash 7.54. The more recent 

 analysis of Wolff and Knopp, allowing 

 for water, gives rather more nutritive 

 matter than this. 



It grows rapidly, and yields heavy 

 crops of seed ; makes good grazing, and 

 good hay. But, as with all the Rye 

 grasses, to make good hay, it must be 

 cut before passing the blossom stage, as 

 after that it deteriorates rapidly. The 

 roots being short, it does not bear 

 drought well, and exhausts the soil, 

 dying out in a few years. In these re- 

 si)ects it is liable to the same objections 

 as Timothy. The stem, one to two feet 

 high, has four to six purplish joints and 

 as many dark green leaves ; the flexions 

 spiked panicle, bearing the distant 

 spikelets, one in each bend. 



It should be sown in August or Sep- 

 tember, at the rate of twenty-five or 

 thirty pounds, or one bushel seed per 

 acre. 



TALL MEADOW OAT GRASS 



Evergreen grass in Virginia, and other 

 Southern States, and it is the Tall Oat 

 {Avena elatior) of Linseus. It is closely 

 related to the common oat, and has a 

 beautiful open panicle, leaning slightly 

 to one side. "Spikelets two flowered, 



{Arrhenatherum Avenaceum.) 



and a rudiment of a third, open ; lowest 

 flower staminate or sterile, with a long 

 bent awn below the middle of the back. " 

 -(Flint.) 



It is widely naturalized and well adapt- 

 ed to a great variety of soils. On sandy, 



