34 ANNUAL MEADOW GRASS. 
up into sheaves, and formed into ricks, in which it un- 
dergoes a slight fermentation that much improves it. 
Cows and sheep are both partial to this grass. As hay, 
it is a valuable food for cattle, and particularly for 
milch cows. 
43. SMOOTH-STALKED MEADOW GRASS 
(Poa pratensis, Fig. 27) is a favourite grass for cattle ; 
and flourishes even on the driest soils, growing wild 
in meadows, on dry banks, and even on walls. In 
rich meadows of Somersetshire it forms a considerable 
part of the herbage ; and, in those that have been flooded 
during the winter, it flourishes with such luxuriance as 
nearly to exclude every other grass. Notwithstanding 
this, it possesses the valuable property of resisting ex- 
cessive drought, and is frequently green in high gra- 
velly pastures, after almost every other grass has been 
withered. It flowers early, and makes an extremely 
valuable hay. 
44. ANNUAL MEADOW GRASS (Poa annua, 
Fig. 28). No grass is more common than this, and 
none makes a finer turf. It occurs in almost every 
situation, by the sides of roads, on open and extensive 
commons; and in many parts of England there are 
whole meadows of it, without any mixture of other 
grasses. In those districts of Suffolk which produce 
the best butter, the annual meadow grass is found in 
great abundance. 
It is a remarkable circumstance respecting this grass, 
that it does not suffer injury, but that, on the contrary, 
it is improved by persons frequently walking over it. 
Mr. Stillingfleet states that, on the hill near Malvern, 
in Worcestershire, a walk which had been made for the 
convenience of the water drinkers, was, in less than 
a year, nearly covered with it, though no plant of it 
could be found about any part of the hill. This was 
attributed, in a great measure, to the constant treading 
upon it, by persons passing to and from the well. 
