74 Richard Frotscher’s Almanac and Garden Manual 
be allowed a good growth in early fall, so that the ends of the leaves 
being killed by frost afford an ample covering for the under-parts 
which continue to grow all winter, and afford a good bite whenever 
required by sheep, cattle, hogs and horses. In prolonged summer 
drought it dries completely, so that if fired, it would burn off clean. 
But this occurs in Kentucky, where indeed it has seemed, without 
fire, to disappear utterly ; yet when rain came, the bright green spears 
promptly recarpeted the earth. 
With its underground stems and many roots, it sustains the heat 
and drought of the Southern States as well as those of Kentucky; 
where indeed it is subjected to severer trials of this kind than in the 
more Southern States. In fact, it bears the vicissitudes of our climate 
about as well as Bermuda grass, and is nearly as nutritious. 
Blue grass grows well on hill tops, slopes, or bottom lands, if not 
too wet and too poor. It may be sown any time from September to 
April, preferably perhaps in the latter half of February, or early in 
March. The best catch I ever had was sown the 20th of March, on 
unbroken land, from which trash, leaves, etc., had just been burned. 
The surface of the land should be cleaned of trash of all kinds, 
smooth, even; and ifrecently plowed and harrowed, it should be 
rolled also. This last proceeding is for compacting the surface in 
order to prevent the seed from sinking too deepin the ground. With- 
out harrowing or brushing in, many of them get in too deep to come 
up, even when the surface of the land has had the roller overit. The 
first rain after seeding will put them in deep enough, as the seeds are 
very minute, and the spears of grass small as fine needles, and there- 
fore unable to get out from under heavy cover. These spears are so 
small as to be invisible, except to close eXamination, and in higher la- 
titudes, this condition continues 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 bea good eatch. 
This, however, is not apt to occur in the Southern tier of States, as the 
growth here ismorerapid. 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.) 
This is the first grass cultivated in England 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) 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 subjoined analysis of Way not to 
