BULLETIN OF THE BUSSEY INSTITUTION. 1338 
Water in the green grass . 74.69 78.83 76.76 
Ratio of albuminoids to carbohy- 
Cee Re te 6 ere L242 1:3.4 NES: By ¢ 
Directly contrary to the experience with blue joint-grass as just 
now stated, the results of these analyses of reed canary-grass are sur- 
prisingly better than was expected. ‘They indicate, in short, the pres- 
ence of very considerable amounts of nutritive matters. In the face 
of these analyses, there can hardly be room to doubt that this grass has 
real merit, and that it needs only to be properly managed in order that 
it may commend itself. ‘There is really no cause for surprise that a 
grass growing like my samples at the edge of running water, upon 
land that was not overwet, should elaborate an abundance of the con- 
stituents that are useful food for animals: the conditions of growth 
were, in fact, not unlike those which obtain upon the irrigated mead- 
ows of Europe. It appears, indeed, on consulting foreign authorities,* 
that the reed canary-grass is held in considerable estimation abroad. 
As a substitute for our wild bog grasses, it could doubtless be grown 
with advantage in numberless localities in this country ; for it yields an 
enormous burden of hay, is easily planted, and when once established 
in a fit place, does not readily die out. ‘Though not merchantable, per- 
haps, in the usual sense of the word, the hay from this grass, when 
cut young enough, would undoubtedly be valuable for feeding stock at 
the farm. 
It appears,f curiously enough, that an attempt was made nearly half 
a century ago to introduce the cultivation of this grass into American 
practice, and the abundant beds of it at the localities where my speci- 
mens were collected seem to show that the effort was not wholly 
unsuccessful in this vicinity. But it is plain, upon the face of the 
matter, that this grass can only then be useful, when managed intelli- 
gently, and by persons who have a clear appreciation of the character 
of the grass at the several stages of its development. For that 
matter, the chemical evidence given above does but re-enforce and 
justify the testimony offered by the mechanical structure of the grass, 
to the effect that it should be mown when very young, — that is to say, 
three times every year, — in order to be a really useful fodder. The 
* See, for example, Langethal’s “ Lehrbuch der Pflanzenkunde,” Jena, 1855, 
1. 72; and the authors cited on pages 134, 135. 
Tt See “New England Farmer,” 1834, 13. pp. 41, 129, and 1835, 14. pp. 50, 125. 
