16 
ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION. 
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ond—When this structure is of a light glaucous color, the sugar is generally in exces 
Prof. Gray’s definition of glaucous is ‘covered with a whitish bloom which rubs off, 
the surface of a cabbage leaf, or a plum, or so whitened as to appear to have a bloon 
Third—Grasses which have culms swelled joints, flowers pointed, collected into 
spike, or spike-like, panicle leaves thin, flat, long, and of a light green color, conta 
a great proportion of extractive matter. Fourth—Grasses which have culms f urnish< 
with numerous joints, leaves smooth and succulent flowers in a spike, or a closed pa: 
icle, florets large and blunt, contain most gluten and mucilage. Fifth—When tl 
structure is of a glaucous color and the florets woolly, sugar is in the next proportk 
to mucilage. Sixth—Grasses which have their flower in a panicle, florets pointed < 
awned, joints of the culms smooth, sheaths of the leaves being broad, smooth and su 
culent, contain most mucilage. Seventh—Grasses with flower in a panicle, flore 
thinly scattered, pointed or furnished with long awns, culms lofty with few joint 
leaves flat and rough, contain a great proportion of saline matter and bitter extrae 
ive. Eight—Grasses with strong, creeping roots, culms few, leaves flat and roughis 
and flowers in a spike, contain a greater proportion of bitter extract with mucilage 
This classification of the qualities of grasses with reference to the external fori] 
was published by Mr. Sinclair in the year 1824, and, so far as we know, is the only a 
tempt upon record. Its importance, if it is correct and reliable, cannot be over-est 
mated. But it is a matter of too much importance to be received upon the evidem 
of any one man, however eminent. It is a stronger confirmation of the stateme: 
that we have previously made in these papers of the apathy of farmers and grass cu 
turists in the management of their business that in the fifty-six years which ha' 
elapsed since their publication no one has ever attempted to verify these position 
If the Agricultural Bureau at Washington, or one of the state agricultural societie 
would undertake this work and carry it successfully through, it would confer a pric 
less boon upon the farmers of our country. 
GRASSES ADAPTED TO MOIST SOILS. 
The adaption of grasses to soils is—outside of those forage plants almost univer 
ally cultivated in the Northwest—very imperfectly understood. To arrange them j 
this order, note their distinct structure and value, so far as our knowledge extend 
will hardly be “ love’s labor lost.” Let us commence with those adapted to the riel 
moist meadow and pasture lands of the Northwest. Foxtail, {Alopecurus.) Th 
genus has three species growing in the Northwest, but one of them only is of sufficiei 
agricultural use or value for cultiuation, to wit: Meadow foxtail, (A. pratensis.) 1 
this species the spikelets are one-flowered, on very short branches, the culms uprigl 
and smooth, from two to three feet high ; the leaves are smooth and flat, though tl 
upper leaves are sometimes rough, and the higher leaf is not more than half thelengt 
of its inflated sheath ; light, ovate and obtuse glumes and palea both horny, the lath 
about equal in length. Below the middle the awn is tusseted: the spike-like panic 
is from one to three inches long, of a yellowish-green color, turning to light grayisl 
brown with age; root perennial. Meadow foxtail is not a very common grass in tl 
Northwest. It is more common in the state of Maine than in any other of the Ne 
England states, but it would greatly improve our pasture grasses. Mr. Gordales, ( 
Maine, says that “ in some places in that state it grows four feet in length, and is est 
mated there as a meadow grass.” The greatest weight of hay on an acre that I lia\ 
seen recorded is three tons and 125 pounds ; but it usually yields about one and on< 
half tons per acre, and an average growth of culms about two feet in height. It flov 
ers in the month of May, nearly four weeks in advance of timothy, and is one of th 
earliest grasses to start in the spring. Pastures well covered with this grass wi 
afford a full bite at least one week earlier than those which do not have it. It doe 
not flourish well in a dry soil, but on low, moist lands no grass bears the hot weathe 
better; and it is not injured bv frequent mowing, on which account, as well as for il 
early verdure, it is very valuable for lawns. 
Mr. Chas. L. Flint says, in his work on grasses, that it flourishes in the wester 
part of Worcester county, Massachusetts, but it is, nevertheless, disliked there as 
meadow grass, as it is very light in proportion to its bulk. It loses about sevent 
per cent, of its weight in drying. It thrives best on rich land, which is not too wel 
Low meadows and boggy grounds which have been drained are best suited for it. 1 
appears, from the Woburn experiments that the produce is nearly three-fourth 
greater on a clayey loam than on a sandy soil, and that the quantity of nutritive mat 
ter is also greater in the proportion of three to two. Mr. Sinclair states that the pre 
portional value in which this grass of the aftermath exceeds the flowering crop, is a 
four to three, and Mr. Parnell infers that the loss sustained by the cutting of this gras 
at the time of flowering, is considerable, which is not the case with most grasses 
This fact, and the inference founded upon it, needs verification before the truth ca: 
be admitted. It does not grow a very good crop until the fourth year after the seed 
are sown, hence it is not well suited to alternate husbandry, but excellent for perma 
nent pasture. It is the principal grass in most of the rich natural pastures of Grea 
