64 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February. 
A Pasture Grass.—The Sheep’s Fescue. 
Our writers upon grasses have but little to 
say, as a general thing, about Sheep’s Fescue 
■(Festuca ovina), yet, in one or another of its 
forms, it often makes up a large share of a 
pasture. It is a grass affected, to a wonder¬ 
ful extent, by soil 
and location, and 
its extreme forms 
are most unlike. 
It grows through¬ 
out Europe and 
Central Asia, and 
in Australia and 
New Zealand, 
while in this 
coun try it extends 
from Canada to 
the Carolinas.and 
from the Atlantic 
to the Pacific. It 
grows on the 
high mountain 
ranges and in the 
valleys, adapting 
itself to every 
locality, and as¬ 
suming a form 
peculiar to each. 
No grass is more 
frequently sent us 
from the “far 
West ” for a name 
than this. Indeed, 
those who look to 
external charac¬ 
ters alone, would 
find it difficult to 
believe that the 
grass three or 
four inches high 
from one of the 
Rocky Mountains 
could be the same 
as one two feet or 
more high from a 
low-land pasture. 
To such an extent 
is Sheep's Fescue 
modified by its surroundings, that botanists 
in different countries have described it as 
distinct species, and given names to over 
twenty-five different forms of this one grass. 
"What is regarded as the typical species is 
shown in our engraving. The stem rarely 
reaches a foot in hight, and bears an open pani¬ 
cle of spikelets, which is often somewhat one¬ 
sided; the spikelets (flowers) themselves are 
frequently purplish, and usually bear very 
short bristles (awns) at the tips of the chaff. 
The stem arises from a tuft of leaves, which 
appear bristle-like, as the edges are rolled in 
towards one another, though the leaves upon 
the stem are sometimes flat. Upon the high¬ 
er mountains, the grass is dwarfed to four or 
six inches, and is smaller in all its parts, and 
often in such localities, the panicle, instead 
of bearing spikelets of flowers, has each of 
these clusters replaced by a tuft of leaves. 
When grown upon richer soils, it becomes 
larger; its leaves are less rigid, and often flat, 
while it retains its verdure in the most severe 
drouth. This is known as the “ Hard Fes¬ 
cue.” It has been described as Festuca dur- 
•iuscida (the specific name meaning “some¬ 
what hard ”) but is properly F. ovina, var. 
duriuscula. The seeds of this are offered by 
our seedsmen and are deserving the attention 
of all who propose to lay down land to per¬ 
manent pasture. Still another variety, with 
reddish foliage, known as “ Red Fescue,” is 
found near the sea coast and on the shores of 
the great lakes. On account of its long-run¬ 
ning root-stocks, it is valuable in loose, light 
soils. The “Sheep’s Fescue” is especially 
relished by sheep, and as some of its forms 
will grow in sterile soil, where little else will 
flourish, it becomes of importance in the nat¬ 
ural sheep ranges of this country, as well as 
of the old world. In an agricultural view, 
the form known as “ Hard Fescue ” is of the 
greatest importance. Though its special value 
is as a pasture grass, it makes hay of superior 
quality. All kinds of stock thrive upon it; 
and from its power of resisting drouth, it re¬ 
mains green when other grasses suffer and 
become dry. On account of its fine foliage 
and its ability to resist extremes of heat and 
cold, it is an excellent lawn-grass, for which 
purpose it is much sown in Europe. In Eng¬ 
land, where much attention is given to es¬ 
tablishing pastures, and mixtures of various 
grass seeds are prescribed for different soils, 
‘ ‘ Sheep’s Fescue,” in some form, is quite sure 
to be prominent in each mixture. 
Convenient Derricks. 
On the farm there are almost constantly 
heavy weights to be moved about. Any 
mechanical contrivance which will enable the 
farmer to accomplish this heavy work with 
ease must be welcome to him. I give two 
Fig. 1.— FRONT AND SIDE VIEW OF DERRICKS. 
sketches of easily made “ Convenient Der¬ 
ricks ” for raising weights of almost any kind 
found on the farm. 
Figure 1 is made of two pine pieces, 2 by 4, 
fastened together with cross-pieces of inch- 
stuff, nailed on as in the engrayiiig.,. An irpn 
pulley wheel is placed between the two pieces 
near the upper end at a, see fig. 1. A round 
iron bar, b, one to one and a half inch in 
diameter and having a handle (the handle of 
a grindstone will do) at one end is put through 
both pieces about three or four teet from the 
lower end. A rope is fastened to this and 
runs over a pulley. To hang a butchered 
animal, place the upper end of the derrick 
on the pole upon which the animal is to be 
hung; fasten the hook to the carcass. While 
one man steadies it, another places his knee 
on the board s, and winds the weight up to 
the pole; then the brake c is moved under 
the handle, and the work is done. The 2 by 4 
pieces should be about eighteen inches apart 
at the bottom. 
This derrick is made sixteen feet long and 
with it I can easily elevate all kinds of heavy 
farm machinery into the shed loft. 
Figure 2 is a derrick that works on the same 
principle as fig. 1. It consists of a single 
piece with arms for windlass and two sup¬ 
ports fitting into iron sockets. The sockets 
are fastened on with a bolt. It has a wind¬ 
lass similar to that in fig. 1. A half-inch 
iron rod, having nuts at each end, holds arms 
x, x, firmly in place. A short cross-piece is 
bolted across the lower end of the main 
piece to steady it. 
With this derrick a weight is raised, the 
lower end of the derrick is slid forward 
and the weight can be loaded into a wagon. 
A brake like that on fig. 1 may be attached 
to this one also. F. Grundy. 
Turnips as a Farm Crop. 
BT F. D. CURTIS. 
A turnip crop will fit a meadow for com, 
as the sod will be rotted, ready for giving the 
maize a vigorous start, and the ground will 
be more mellow and all the richer on account 
of the turnips. The sod should be turned 
over as soon as possible after the clover or 
hay crop has been taken off. It would be 
well to roll the ground and flatten the sward, 
to hasten its decomposition, and a few days 
before sowing time, harrow it thoroughly. 
A dressing of finely rotted manure should 
then be spread upon the surface, and culti¬ 
vated into the soil, the ground being pulver¬ 
ized and made as mellow as possible. If 
wood ashes can be procured, they will help 
the crop if they are thinly scattered on top. 
A pound and a half of seed sown broadcast 
is ample for an acre. The seed shouljJ [r bo 
jf® 
turnips are up, they will be benefiied by a 
