200 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
ow-grass ( poa serotina ), meadow fescue {festuca pratensis ), red 
top ( agrostis vulgaris ), the wire grass {poa compressa ), the sweet 
scented vernal and vanilla grass, together with timothy {phleum 
pratense ), orchard grass {dactylis glomerata ), clover and other 
forage plants. 
The June grass {poapratensis) is regarded as very valuable : 
it throws out a dense mass of leaves, is highly relished by cat¬ 
tle, and produces milk from which a superior quality of butter 
is made. It is found growing throughout the butter districts 
of the country. The wire-grass {poa compressa ) is deemed one 
of the most nutritive of the grasses, is very hardy, eagerly 
sought after by cattle, and is one of the best grasses for fatten¬ 
ing. Cows feeding upon it yield milk of the richest quality, 
from which the nicest butter is made. It flourishes well upon 
gravelly knoll&and in shady places, and its stem is green after 
the seed has ripened. It is found growing in all parts of the 
country. 
The meadow fescue is common in old grass lands where the 
sod is thick, and grasses of different varieties are mingled to¬ 
gether. It starts up early in the spring, is relished by stock, 
and furnishes good early feed. The milk farmers hold it in 
high estimation as a reliable grass, tenacious of life, and not 
running out like timothy {plileum pratense) or clover. The 
white clover {Trifolium repens) springs up spontaneously in the 
old pastures, and is highly esteemed as giving flavor and quali¬ 
ty to butter. 
The sweet scented vernal grass grows best upon the moist 
soil of the old meadows. It starts very early and gives off a 
very agreeable odor. 
We have been particular in naming the grasses which are 
most esteemed for producing a high priced butter, because a 
record of long and well conducted experiments has proved 
their utility. It is possible that climate and soil might so modi¬ 
fy the character of these grasses, as to render them less worthy 
of esteem in other countries than among the butter dairymen 
of New York. Still, as the experience of farmers noted for 
