


STS RT = See ge eerste Spey ea pT ene RS a a 

78 Richard Frotscher’s Almanac and Garden Manual 


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 be a good catch. This, however, 
is not apt to occur in 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 givesa finer growth and shew than. 
two in Kentucky or any other State so far North. 
Sown alone, 2) 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 avast 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 thesubjoined analysis of Way not to 
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 Wolff and Knopp, allowing for water, gives rather more nutritive 
matter than this. seit: 
It grows rapidly and yields heavy crops of seed, makes good graz- 
ing and good hay. Butas with all the Rye grasses, to make good hay 
it must be cut before passing the blossom stage, as after thatit 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 flexious 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 Cat (Avena elatior) of Lineeus. It is closely" related to the 
common 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.” — (Flint.) 






