Varieties. 
Name. 
History. 
Agricultural 
value. 
Geographical 
distribution. 
Habitat. 
Limits of 
altitude. 
Climate. 
Soil. 
Substances 
removed 
from the soil. 
Manure, 
Growth. 
Development. 
70 
ally compressed, dark brown, and finely dotted; at the base of one of ils edges, the small embryo is 
seen: al the base of the other, the hilum. The false fruit is 3.5 mm. long, the caryopsis, 1.5 mm. 
Varieties. A variety of this grass having strips of white in its leaves (var. picta. Hort.), is often 
cultivated in gardens for ornament. Sinclair mentions similar leaves, as occurring in varieties of Cocks- 
foot and Fiorin. | 
The name of this genus is derived from the Greek and has reference to the shining seed (fig. 7), 
Being an ally of the grass which yields Canary seed, it is called Canary-grass. The variety having the 
leaves striped with white is known as >ribbon-grass« or »gardener’s garters«. 
Sinclair cultivated this grass and recommended it for tenacious clays. On the continent, it was 
first cultivated by Ruden and Palm, about 1850. They recommended it more especially for soils where 
Red clover was uncertain. 
Reed canary grass has, under certain conditions, great agricultural value. It is very 
suitable for wet soils: — the produce is very large, the culms 6—7 ft. high, and the after- 
math good; further it is perennial, and its culms are never laid. As fodder, its value is 
low; after flowering it becomes hard and can only be used as litter. However, even for 
bedding purposes, its cultivation is very advantageous, since it grows readily, and on wet 
ground gives a larger yield than any other straw-producing grass. In mountainous dis- 
tricts, especially on wet lands and wherever there is scarcity of straw. great attention 
should be given to it, 
Occurrence, Climate, Soil, Manure. Reed canary grass is indigenous — to all Europe extending 
as far north as Lapland (68° N. lat); to N. America; to Asia, throughout Siberia and Japan. 
It is common on the banks of sluggish rivers and shady ponds, in marshy places, and on flooded land. 
In Alpine regions it does not extend to high altitudes, but confines itself rather to the valleys. 
Its highest station on the Alps is Alt St. Johann (2,850 ft.). In Armenia, Ledebowr mentions its occur- 
rence at a height of 5,200 feet. 
This grass is very robust, withstanding almost all kinds of climate and season. It 
is little affected either by drought or cold, and thrives well in the shade. 
It succeeds best on stiff, wet land and on wet, flooded fields; prolonged flooding is 
not at all injurious. But even on sands of a decidedly dry type, it is also successful, though 
on such the produce is of course less abundant. It does not grow on peat. 
1000 Ibs. of hay remove from the soil: — 
Nitrogen : ; 6.7 lbs. Lime . ; : 2.7 Ibs. 
Phosphoric acid. ve) Sere Magnesia ; OS 2%, 
Potash . : es E32 Silica. , 1 See 
Soda. ; URS Sulphuric acid d.4 4, 
For this grass, moisture is the great requirement ; manuring is of but little importance. 
This is owing to the nature of the roots, which come out in great numbers from the stolons, 
spread over a large area of ground and penetrate deeply. Irrigation is very advantageous. 
Growth, Yield, Nutritive value. Reed canary-grass forms underground stolons which 
penetrate the ground in all directions; the ends of these come above ground, and form a 
moderately compact system of tall, solitary, reed-like culms. Although the leaves are few, 
they are very broad and 7—12 inches long. 
Development begins early in spring, and growth continues till late in autumn. The 
produce is small in the year of sowing, but a full yield is obtained in the second year. 
Flowering commences ab out the middle of June. Cutting should take place before flowering, 
because the culms soon after become very woody, and the nutritive value is diminished. 
