For the Southern States. 75 



atid I have mown it when four feet high. It grows well on hill- 

 tops and sides, in ditches, gullies and marshes, but deligiits in 

 moist bottom laud. It is not injuied by overflows, tbougb some- 

 what prolonged. In ma? shy land it produces a very dense, 

 strong network of roots capable of sustaining the weight of men 

 and animals walking over it. 



It furnishes cousider able grazing during warm ''spells" in 

 winter, aud in spring and summer an abundant supply of nutri- 

 tion. It has a tendency, being very hardy, to increase in density 

 of gro\vth and extent of surface, and will continue indefinitely, 

 though easily subdued by the plow. 



(Jut 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. 

 It and timothy being adapted to the same soils, and maturing at 

 the same time, do well together and produce an excellent hay. 

 But the red top will finally root out timothy — if pastured much 

 it will do so sooner. 



Sow about two bushels (24 lbs.) per acre, if alone, in Sep- 

 tember, 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 called also smooth meadow grass, spear grass, and 

 green grass, all three very ai propriate, characteristi<5 names. 

 But Blue is a misnomener for this grass, It is not blue, but 

 ' green as grass * and the greenest of grasses. The P. cornpressa, 

 flat-stalked meadow grass, wire grass, blue grass is blue, the 

 ' true blue' grass from which the genus received its trivial name. 



Kentucky blue grass, known also in the Eastern States as 

 June gjass, although esteemed in some parts of America as the 

 best of all pasture grasses, seems not to be considered very val- 

 uable among English farmers except in mixtui'es. It is certainly 

 a very desirable 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 luxuriai;t growth that a mere 

 description could give no one an adequate idea of its beauty, 

 quantity and value ; that is on rich land. On poor, sandy land, 

 it degenerates sadly as to other things iincongenially located 



Perennial, and bearing cold and drought well, it furnishes 

 grazing a large part of tbe year. It is specially valuable as a 

 winter and spring gass for the South. To secure the best win- 

 ter results, it should 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 pa-ts which continue to grow all winter, 

 and aftbrd a good bite whenever required by sheep, cattle, hogs 

 and hoises. In pr- longed summer drought it dries completely, 

 so that if fired, it would buru off clean. But this occurs in Ken- 



