For the Southern States. 15 
be deficient 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, woody fibre 35.20, ash 7.54. The more recent analysis 
of Wolffand 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 deteri- 
orates rapidly. The roots being short, it does not bear drought well 
and exhausts the soil, dying out in a few years. In these respects 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 fiexious spiked panicle bearing the distant spikelets, one in each 
bend. 
It should be sown in August or September, at the rate of twenty-five 
or thirty pounds or one bushel seed per acre. 
TALL MEADOW OAT GRASS. 
(Arrhenatherum Avenaceum. ). 
Evergreen grass in Virginia, and other Southern States, and it is the 
Tall Oat (Avena elatior) of Linzeus. Itis closely related to the com- 
mon oat, and has a beautiful open panicle, leaning slightly to one side. 
“Spikelets two flowered and a rudiment of a third, open; lowest 
flower staminate or sterile, with a long bent awn below the middle of 
the back.’’—(F lint.) 
It is widely naturalized and well adapted to a great variety of soils. 
On sandy, or gravelly soils, it succeeds admirably, growing two or 
three feet high. On rich, dry upland it grows from five to seven feet 
high. It, has an abundance of perennial, long fibrous roots, pene- 
trating deeply in the soil, being therefore less affected by drought or 
cold, and enabled to yield a large quantity of foliage, winter and sum- 
mer. These advantages render it one of the very best grasses for the 
South, both for grazing (being evergreen) and for hay, admitting of 
being cut twice a year. Itis probably the best winter grass that can 
be obtained. 
It will make twice as much hay as timothy, and containing a 
greater quantity of albuminoids, and less of heat-producing princi- 
ples, it is better adapted to the uses of the Southern farmer, while it 
exhausts the surface soil less, and may be grazed indefinitely, except 
after mowing. To make good hay it must be cut the instant it blooms, 
and, after being cut, must not get wet by dew or rain, which dam- 
ages it greatly in quality and appearance. 
For green soiling, it may be cut four or five times with favorable 
seasons. In from six to ten days after blooming, the seeds begin to 
ripen and fall, the upper ones first. It is therefore a little trouble- 
some to save the seed. As soonas those at the top of the panicle ripen 
sufficiently to begin to drop, the heads should be cut off and dried, 
when the seeds will all thresh out readily and be matured. After the 
seeds are ripe and taken off the long abundant leaves and stems are 
still green, and being mowed, make good hay. ~ 
