Grasses

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1896

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[Read before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, March 21, 1896.]

BY

PROFESSOR F. LAMSON-SCRIBNER, B.S.,

CHIEF OF DIVISION OF AGROSTOLOGY, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

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Coming to Boston to address you on the subject of grasses, is
like carrying coals to Newcastle, for is not this the home of the
widely known and justly celebrated author of Flint’s “ Grasses
and Forage Plants”? But the subject is a broad one —as broad
as the world is wide, and as varied as it is broad; so broad, and

' embracing so many diverse lines of investigation, all alike inter-
esting, that I have found it exceedingly difficult to determine
what subjects to take up, or where to draw my limitations. Good
things will stand repeating, and in a multitude of counsellors
there is safety. New ideas are rare indeed, but in the application
of old ones may spring a happy thought of use to some one, and
there always exists this possibility to encourage the speaker.
“The grass faileth; there is no green thing,” is an apt expres-
sion of the extremity of desolation. Where there is no grass,
there are the absolute deserts. Where our best grasses abound,
and where they receive the most attention, there we find our high-
est civilization and greatest prosperity. Destroy the rich verdure
of our pastures and meadows, and how much of the pleasure as
well as the profit of the farmer’s life would be blasted. Destroy
the little grass plat of the contracted yard of the citizen, and
how much would the enjoyment of domestic life be narrowed. ,
Grasses may be considered the plebeians among the families
of the vegetable kingdom. They are ubiquitous, and in all
temperate regions innumerable. In their number of species they
constitute one-fourth of the flowering plants of the arctic zone,
\ one-twelfth of those of the temperate region, and from one-
ee twelfth to one twenty-fifth of those of the tropics. In the
countless myriads of individuals, particularly in the temperate
zone, grasses far surpass all other orders of plants. They form
the rank and file of the army of plants; but here, as in armies of

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men, it is the rank and file that does the real service. There are,
however, lordly members among the grass family, for some of the
tropical species vie with the tallest trees in height. The immense
bamboo forests of India are forests of grasses, and to the dwellers
of those regions they are as useful as are our own forests to us.
They furnish material for the construction of their houses and
household furniture and domestic utensils, articles of ornament,
and sometimes even articles of clothing. Some of the bamboos
furnish drink to the thirsty traveler ; others occasionally supply
food ; and several times within historical periods have the fruits
of these bamboos saved hundreds of thousands, if not millions,
of people from actual starvation. So generally useful are the
bamboos that their products have entered into the commerce of
the world.

A mere enumeration of the diverse uses of grasses would more
than occupy the time which has been allotted to me here; but at
the risk of wearying you, I must briefly outline the more impor-
tant of these. Grains, the product of the cereal grasses, form the
staple food of more than four-fifths of the human race. Wheat
is a grass, and the world’s production of wheat is estimated at
two billions four hundred millions of bushels. Rice is a grass,
and the production of this cereal in the East exceeds one million
tons, and feeds one-third of mankind. Indian corn, that king of
grasses and peculiar product of America, is one of our greatest
sources of income. Its cultivation now extends over ninety
degrees of latitude and has been carried to all parts of the world.
Oats, the most nutritious of all grain foods, barley, and rye are
members of the grass family; and aside from these grains, there
are a number of grasses which furnish human food, particularly
to the natives of Southern Asia and the wild tribes of Africa, the
value of whose product cannot be estimated. In addition to the
direct usefulness of these grain-bearing grasses to man, several
are used very largely to supplement the forage of our domestic
animals. They have a further use also, in the production of
alcoholic drinks. Nearly half of our sugar supply is derived
from grasses. The world’s production of cane sugar is about
three million tons. What is said here of the products of the
cereal-grasses indicates only in a slight degree the great use-
fulness to man of a very few members of the grass family. A
larger number are scarcely less useful, although indirectly.

Or

These are the grasses of our meadows and pastures, which
furnish us our beef and mutton, our butter and milk; which feed
our horses, the noblest of our domestic animals, and still among
the most useful, in spite of electric railroads, horseless carriages,
and bicycles. The money value of the hay crop of the United
States for the year 1894 was estimated at nearly half a billion
dollars, and the value of the grasses in pastures of the Northern
States may be considered equal in value to the hay produced,
while in the Southern States and the great grazing regions of the
West, the value of the pasturage far exceeds that of the hay crop.
A conservative estimate, therefore, of the annual value of the
grasses of the meadows and pastures of this country alone
exceeds a billion dollars.

‘‘Before dismissing this subject of the utility of grasses in
furnishing food for man and the animals he has domesticated, we
shall do well to pause for a little reflection upon its relation to
the industry, commerce, and wealth of nations, as well as to
man’s subsistence —our dependence not only upon the cereal
grasses for our staple vegetable food, but indirectly upon the
forage grasses for our supplies of animal food, namely beef,
mutton, venison, and dairy produce, as well as for various animal
substances such as wool and hair, hides and skins, bone and horn,
oil and tallow, used for textile and other manufactures (notably
woolen fabrics and leather), or for domestic purposes — the
large proportion of the world’s inhabitants engaged in agricult-
ural (chiefly cereal cultivation) and pastoral pursuits, in some
countries from seventy to ninety per cent of the adult male pop-
ulation — the vast internal and foreign trade connected with the
distribution of agricultural products by land and sea — the
numerous and important industries concerned in operating upon
one or other form of this produce in order to prepare it for con-
sumption ; and lastly, the enormous capital employed in all these
industrial activities, and the consequent accumulation of wealth.
It is only when we take a comprehensive survey, such as here
indicated, that we are able to form some conception of the tran-
scendent importance of the Graminee.’’'

There are a number of minor uses to which many species of
grasses have been applied; probably the most important is the
material they furnish for paper-making. Several of our native

1 William Hutchinson in ‘‘ Handbook of Grarses,’’ 1895.

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species furnish a good fibre for this purpose, but the grass which
has been used most largely in. the manufacture of paper is the
Esparto grass of the Mediterranean region. The quantity of
this grass annually imported into England at present amounts to
over two hundred thousand tons, valued at three-quarters of a
million pounds sterling. Some grasses are used in the manufact-
ure of cordage, or hats, or of matting; others make thatch ;
some are employed in medicine ; others yield perfumery. Among
the natural uses of grasses may be mentioned that of binding -
drifting sands and the protection of our coasts and river banks
from the action of the tides or floods, and their use in protecting
the soils of our fields and meadows by the covering which their turf
affords. They extract from the earth and the air elements which
they transform into substances that serve as food, and in doing
this they help to purify the air we breathe.

Contrary to the general idea, there exists among grasses a
remarkable diversity of form. So varied is this that botanists
have already defined nearly four thousand distinet species. This
diversity appears throughout all the organs of the grass. In
some the roots are simply fibrous, and the plants grow in tufts
or bunches, as Sheep’s Fescue and Orchard grass; others have
what we call creeping roots, and it 1s among these that we should
look for the best turf-forming species. Some have stems less
than an inch in height and appear like mosses covering the soil
and rocks; others attain the height of our tallest forest trees.
Some have leaves as fine as the finest thread; in others the
leaves are those of the ideal blade of grass, while others again
have leaves ike those of palms, or leaves as short and as broad
and as round as those of the well-known smilax. To explain the
details and the varieties existing among the flowers of grasses
would be wearisome. That grasses have flowers is an idea rarely
entertained by any except botanists, and I have frequently heard
the remark, “I did not know that grasses had flowers.” They
do, however, although their special characters may differ from
those of other plants; and provision exists here, as it does
throughout nearly all the tribes of vegetation which bear flowers,
for securing cross-fertilization. The flowers of grasses are
inconspicuous and secrete no nectar. They are not, therefore,
attractive to insects, which play so important a part in the
process of cross-fertilization. The pollen of grass flowers is

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dry, light, and powdery, and easily blown about by the wind,
and cross-fertilization among grasses is effected by this agency.

If the variety in the external form of grasses is wonderfully
great, their internal structure is scarcely less so, and the histo-
logical studies of grass stems, leaves, and fruits are exceedingly
interesting. Intricate problems in mechanics are exhibited in the
structure of the slender cylinders which constitute the grass stem,
and which, in many cases, possess a strength most surprising.
The amount of mechanical tissue entering into the structure of
the stem which holds a heavy head of wheat is insignificant, but
the disposition of the various elements of this tissue gives it the
strength necessary to perform its proper functions. Again, the
leaves of grasses, which many think so much alike that they would
consider the expression “as like as two blades of grass” as forcible
as the more common phrase “as like as two peas,” exhibit a di-
verse and marvelous interior structure. No more delicate trac-
ings or beautiful designs of lace work can be imagined than are
presented by these same grass leaves when viewed under the
microscope. The designer might well study these tissues, for in
them he would find many new figures and combinations of lines,
the beauty of which he could not hope to excel, and the repro-
duction of which could not fail to receive the highest admiration.
In their internal structure as in their outward contour, the leaves
of grasses present such definite characters that these may be
used to distinguish species. A minute transverse section of the
leaf of Kentucky Blue grass, which one could barely see with
the naked eye, would, under the microscope, present characters
which at once distinguish it from all other grasses. They are
totally different from those exhibited by a leaf of Orchard grass,
and these again are wholly unlike those of Meadow Fescue.
There are certain cells in the leaf tissue, running from the base
to the summit, which are larger and have thinner walls than the
surrounding cells. These special cells readily absorb or give up
moisture, and because of this property they exercise the mechani-
eal function exhibited in the expansion or opening out of the
leaves, or their contraction and rolling together.

The provisions which nature has made for the distribution of
grasses 1S an interesting subject, and one worthy of passing
notice. In many cases the seeds are covered with delicate chaff-
like scales, or are furnished with winged or feathery appendages,

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enabling them to be widely distributed by the winds. Others
are provided with hooks or barbed spines, by means of which
they become attached to clothing or to the wool or hair of ani-
mals, and are thus carried about from place to place. Others are
so constructed that they will float upon the water, and may be
carried long distances by rivers and streams or tides. Others
again have firm protective coatings, so that they-may pass unin-
jured through the stomachs of birds or animals feeding upon
them, and are disseminated in this way. These are among the ~
natural means of distribution. The manner in which grasses
have been distributed through the ageney of civilization and
commerce is no less varied.

The diversity of form presented by grasses is accompanied by
an almost equal diversity in their station, or place of growth.
Some are limited to the Arctic regions, others are found only in
the tropics ; some grow in the sand along seacoasts, others again
are confined to the highest mountain-tops near the limits of per-
petual snow; some flourish only in moist meadows, others exist
in the most arid deserts; some grow in the shadows of forests,
others thrive only upon open plains; some are confined to soils
heavily charged with lime, others make vigorous growth where
practically no lime exists. And it is with all these varied pecu-
liarities which grasses present, that the student of these plants
must become familar, in order intelligently to direct his efforts
to improve the forage and grazing resources of the country, the
prime feature of interest that the farmer has in this subject.

We will now limit our remarks to the consideration of the
economic grasses of this State. It is hard to say which is the
most important of these. But if one pays a visit to Cape Cod,
as it was my good fortune to do last summer, he will certainly
be struck with the great importance of Beach grass, and the
special value which it possesses for binding the drifting sands of
the coast. Beach grass extends along the sandy shores of the
coast just above the reach of the higher tides, from Maine to
Virginia; but nowhere along our shores will one learn to ap-
preciate more fully its usefulness as a sand binder than in the
vicinity of Provincetown. The natural growth of Beach grass at
this point has done much towards checking the progress of the
sand dunes towards the town and harbor, the filling in of the
latter bemg threatened by the moving of these great bodies of

sand. The Harbor and Land Comumnissioners of your State have
undertaken to further check the drifting of these sands by
transplanting Beach grass to the most exposed points, where
presumably it will be most effective. The setting out of the
Beach grass was undertaken in May last, and when I saw the
plantations, in August, the operation was perfectly successful,
and the best results may be confidently expected. This grass is
the most valuable sand binder of our coast, and it should be
made use of more than it is. We do not need to import the
seeds of it, as has been done, nor do we need to depend upon
seeds for propagation. The simplest way, and at the same time
the most certain means of propagation as well as the cheapest in
the end, is that of transplanting, which may be done in the
spring, or in some localities doubtless in fall." There is hardly
any section along the seashore where Beach grass could not be
used to advantage ; if it does not exist near by, it may be readily
and cheaply obtained. For the binding of embankments, where
there is a proportion of good soil, Couch or Witch grass is avail-
able. If a good turf is desired, there is nothing better than
Kentucky Blue grass, better known in New England as June
grass.

There are in Massachusetts about sixty thousand acres of salt
marsh, and it may be of interest to stop a moment to consider
the plants that enter into the composition of the hay which
these marshes afford. These salt grasses are the natural product

1The following letter from Mr. L. W. Ross is of interest in this connection:

Boston, Mass., March 30, 1896.
Pror. F. LAMSON-ScRIBNER, Washington, D.C.:

Dear Sir: Agreeably to your request when I met you in Boston, I will say that I visited
the Province lands at Provincetown, Mass., on March 25 and 26.

The plantings of Ammophila arundinacea which you saw last summer have proved a
complete success. The winter has been an unusually windy and tempestuous one. Not-
withstanding this, however, the plants have held the sand on the area planted securely in
place and no “‘ breaks”’ or “ blow-onts” have appeared, to require any attention on the part
of our Superintendent during the winter. This I consider somewhat remarkable, for we
expected portions of it to be blown away. The whipping of the grass by the winds has
broken off and blown away approximately about one-half of the bulk of grass above ground.

It has always been considered by those who claim a knowledge of Beach grass planting,
that the spring season is the only one in which it should be planted. Last fall we continued
the grass plantings beyond the point where we left off last spring, and contrary to clainis
made, at the present time it shows to be in better condition and to have stood the winds of
the winter much better than the grass plauted last spring.

Yours respectfully,
LEONARD W. loss,
Forester to Board of Harbor and Land Commissioners.

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of the marshes, and the salt hay they furnish is a clear gift of
nature, costing little beyond the labor and expense of harvesting.
The cutting of the hay is determined more by convenience than
by the selection of time when it would be most valuable for
fodder, which would of course be when the principal grasses are
in bloom; and the methods employed in harvesting are in many
cases, and sometimes of necessity, quite primitive. The hay is
cut, raked into small bundles, and carried to the stack, which is
usually supported upon a circle of piles, raising it above the tides.
During the winter season this hay is hauled away for use as
‘fodder or litter or mulch, or shipped to the larger towns for
packing purposes. On the higher and dryer marshes other
methods of harvesting may prevail. The characteristic grasses
of the marshes are the Spartinas. There are several species of
these, and several of them have a very wide distribution along
our coasts, and occur also upon the coasts of Europe. One of the
largest of these Spartinas, growing where there is a daily flow of
tide, chiefly along the ditches and creeks, is the common thatch
or creek sedge. It is conspicuous by its size and its broad,
spreading, shining leaves. It imparts a disagreeable flavor to
the butter and milk from cows fed upon it, and is rarely used for
fodder, but chiefly for thatch or litter. The finer variety of the
same species is more widely scattered over the marshes proper,
growing to the height of from one to two feet. This has nar-
rower, more erect leaves, and is of a lighter green color. Like
the large form, it imparts a disagreeable flavor to the milk from
cows eating it. Red-salt or Fox grass is another Spartina; a
smaller species with wiry stems and slender leaves, and is one of
the best known of the grasses of the salt marsh, and one of the
most valuable. It makes fairly good hay where better cannot be
had, and is a particularly useful species for packing crockery and
glassware. The dicecious Spike grass, less known than the
others, but fairly common on the meadows, also furnishes good
packing material. J saw this covering considerable areas on the
low marshes at Cape Cod, the male plants and the female plants
occupying separate areas, and conspicuous by the yellowish hue
which they gave to the vegetation. It is interesting to note that
the various grasses of the salt marshes do not ordinarily grow
intermingled, as do the species which compose our meadows and
pastures, but each holds exclusively areas of greater or less extent.

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The largest and most striking of our native grasses, Phragmites
communis, is occasionally found upon our salt marshes, although
it is not limited to these localities. It is a species widely dis-
persed throughout the temperate regions of the world, growing
along the margins of rivers and freshwater lakes. It has remark-
ably long and deeply penetrating roots, and is especially valuable
as asand and soil binder. There is a small area of this grass
growing in the sands near the water’s edge on Cape Cod, where
it is exposed to the extreme action of the winds and storm tides.
It has existed there for many years, and its power to withstand
the elements and fix the sands is clearly demonstrated. While
its foliage may not resist the cutting action of the blowing sands,
as do the leaves of Beach grass, its power to resist the action of
the waves is greater. Wherever the waves of the higher tides
reach the sands occupied by Beach grass, it is soon destroyed.

Upon the higher portions of the marsh, which usually escape
the ordinary tides, occur several fine grasses of excellent quality.
Among these are the Creeping or Red Fescue, Sea Spear grass,
Creeping Bent or Brown-top, and Black grass. The Creeping Bent
or Brown-top is one of the best and most tender grasses for fod-
der which the marshes produce. It is only a variety of the well-
known Redtop of our meadows, with stems which are more or less
creeping at the base, and with a less spreading panicle. Sea
Spear grass (Glyceria maritima) 1s not uncommon on the marshes
of the New England coast, extending southward to New Jersey.
It is a tender grass, hiked by cattle, and when abundant makes
a valuable addition to the salt hay designed for fodder. Red
Fescue (Festuca rubra) is a native, and occasionally appears upon
the marshes, although more abundant upon the sandy soil of
waste lands bordering them. It is a grass of excellent quality,
and often enhances considerably the value of marsh hay. Of
all the grasses of the marshes proper, there is none more highly
prized for hay than Black grass (Juncus Gerardi), which extends
all along the Atlantic coast, from the Gulf of St. Lawrence south
to Florida. This, as you will notice, is not a true grass, but a
rush, its botanical characters being quite distinct from those of
the Graminev. Its slender erect stems are from one to two feet
high, somewhat wiry, yet soft and apparently palatable to stock.
It contains less fibre and a higher nutritive ratio, as is shown by
chemical analyses, than Timothy and Redtop.

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A more familiar topic, and one of greater interest to the most
of us, is the grasses of our meadows and pastures. They are the
grasses which feed our cattle ; they are the grasses which brighten
and beautify the landscape. They are numerous in species, and
a mighty host in individual numbers. I would it were possible
for me to introduce to you the various members of the grass
family which have made a home upon our soils. Each one has
a history; each one has its peculiar characteristics, distinguish-
ing it from its neighbors. Each one has its field of usefulness,
and many of them stand ready to become far more useful, if
we will but extend to them the helping hand which we have held
out to the few cultivated grasses, to shield them from the at-
tacks of enemies and rivals, and aid them in their struggle for
existence. They are all beautiful in their gracefulness, and
nothing adds more charm to the landscape than a field of waving
grasses or a pasture of emerald turf. Did you ever stop to
think of one of the prime features of these grasses which makes
them so useful to man? It is this: their power to exist under
repeated cuttings or under the continued grazing and tramping
of stock. What other plants possess this quality, even to a shght
degree? To graze or mow the turf-forming species, and walk or
tramp upon them, instead of destroying them, apparently adds
to their vitality, and surely improves their quality. This cer-
tainly seems like a provision in nature, directed by an all-wise
Providence, for the good of mankind.

I must confine myself to a few species, those of greatest recog-
nized importance for hay, for pasture, or for the lawn. The best
wild or native hay grasses are Blue Joint, Fowl Meadow grass, a
species of Glyceria, and one of the Muhlenbergias or “ drop-
seeds.” These are valuable in the order named, and often afford
in our low-lying meadows a large bulk of native hay of excellent
quality. Like other species of grasses, they respond readily to
good treatment, and the specimens I have here to show you,
clearly exhibit their capabilities. Timothy, Meadow Fescue,
Orchard grass, Rye grass, and Redtop are the chief and best
known of the cultivated or so-called “tame” grasses for the pro-
duction of hay. In the markets, Timothy is the recognized stand-
ard by which the value of other grasses is estimated. It is the
farmer’s gold coin, although it does not appear to me to be equal
in some respects to other varieties. Its clean appearance, even

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growth, fair productiveness, and easy propagation make it a
favorite grass. ‘The presence of Meadow Fescue indicates a good
soil, and upon well-drained clayey lands it is one of the best
grasses we can cultivate; it is alike good for hay and pasturage.
Where the soil is more moist, but deep and strong, the Large
Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) may be cultivated. It is one of
the most productive of the hay grasses. Almost equally produe-
tive on soils suitable to it is Orchard grass, and by many of our
farmers this is regarded as equal, if not superior, to Timothy. It
has a serious fault, however, of growing in bunches or tussocks.
It is not a turf former, and when cultivated the seed should be
sown thickly, and it is a good plan to add some other species as a
filler. This objectionable habit of Orchard grass may be over-
come in a measure by heavily rolling the tields in early spring.
Were it not for this tussock-forming habit, Orchard grass would
make one of the best of grasses for pastures, because of the early
and abundant production of tender leaves. Rye grass, so popular
in England, has never come into much favor here, although it is
usually recommended as an ingredient for mixtures designed for
permanent pasture. On very rich soils, where the ground is
fairly moist and the atmosphere humid, its productiveness is very
large. It will make a fair turf if well cared for, and may be
used alone for lawns, but not in mixtures. Redtop is one of the
finest and best of our hay grasses, especially for low meadows, but
is less productive than other sorts. The requirements of a good
hay grass are productiveness, hardiness, and adaptability to the
soil. It must also be nutritious, rich in flesh-forming elements,
and possessing little fiber, and must be palatable to stock. I will
not attempt to discuss here the question of mixtures for perma-
nent or temporary meadows, further than to say that they must
be based upon the conditions of the soil and climate and the
wants of the farmer. Regard must also be paid to the time of or
succession of blooming of the several varieties which may be
sown.

Our pasture grasses are more numerous than those which yield
us hay, and a just consideration of them would more than occupy
the time of a single lecture. The most important kinds are
Meadow Foxtail, Kentucky Blue grass, English Blue grass (Poa
compressa), certain varieties of Redtop, and species of Fescue.
Meadow Foxtail is one of the earliest, quite productive, and by

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many is very highly esteemed. It is recommended in all mix-
tures compounded for the production of continuous herbage
through the season. . Kentucky Blue grass is a good turf former
and a good pasture grass where the land is rich, but does best
upon strongly calcareous soils. It is the grass which has made
the pastures of portions of Kentucky and Tennessee so justly
famous. English Blue grass is, I think, a better pasture grass
for New England than Kentucky Blue grass. It will grow ona
greater variety of soils. It will grow on soils so thin and poor
that little else will grow. On good land its productiveness is
scarcely inferior to that of Kentucky Blue grass, and it is equally
tender and nutritious. It makes a very firm sod, and withstands
the tramping of stock better than many other kinds. The culti-
vation of this grass in certain portions of Virginia has changed
poverty-stricken districts to areas of wealth and _ prosperity.
This has been effected by the cultivation of this English Blue
grass and the raising of dairy stock. From my knowledge of
New England pastures, I can think of no grass that I would
more highly recommend. Lowland pastures should always con-
tain Redtop in some of its varieties. It makes the cleanest,
nicest-looking, and sweetest turf of any grass I know. The fine-
leafed varieties should be selected for cultivation in pastures.
Of the Fescues, Meadow Fescue is a valuable pasture grass, as
already intimated, where the soil is good; and on sandy soils Red
Fescue is an excellent variety. On the dry uplands Sheep’s
Fescue is perhaps one of the best species we can cultivate, associ-
ating with it English Blue grass.

There is nothing more pleasing to the eye or more beautiful
than a well-kept lawn. There is nothing that speaks more
strongly for the owner of a house than the lawn which fronts it.
The lawn upon the outside should be like the carpets within, and
be kept clean with equal care. It is capable of giving pleasure
to vastly more people than can enter the door and see the beauti-
ful Wiltons and moquettes, for every passer-by may enjoy it. A
good lawn is one of the simplest things to produce, yet one of
the most difficult; at least one may reasonable judge it to be
difficult by the vast array of wretched failures that appear in
almost every neighborhood. What the lawn needs is good turf,
and the climate here is excellently adapted to the production of
just such turf as is most desired. There are a great variety of

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grasses which will produce turf of pleasing appearance under
careful management, but this turf varies in fineness and quality,
according to the species used to make it. We do not need any
lawn mixtures to make a lawn. The worst initiative in the
making of a lawn is the sowing of a mixed lot of seeds. The
best turf I have ever seen was composed of single varieties in
pure cultures, and their beauty fully warrants the extra care and
expense necessary for their production. I am happy to be able
to show you pictures taken in the most famous grass garden —
or turf garden as the manager calls it —in this country. You
have all heard of it, and some of you have doubtless met the
genius who has developed it. This garden is tended with scrupu-
lous care and given daily attention. Not a weed, not a blade of
erass foreign to the variety cultivated, is allowed to appear in
any of the plots, or if appearing it is at once removed. It is at
all times beautiful, but under the slanting rays of an afternoon
sun, the beauties of this garden are most clearly brought out.
At a short distance it looks more like unrolled webs of carpet or
bands of delicately and variously tinted ribbon, than anything
else one can suggest; and here we are able to see the turf-form-
ing qualities (under the treatment given them) of many grasses
and of many varieties of a single botanical species. ‘lo study
the texture of these is most interesting, and the illustrations
which I have to show you will in a very faint degree bring out
the differences of texture they exhibit. The finest and best
varieties of turf, and consequently for lawns, are those of
Festuca and Agrostis. Some of the forms of Agrostis are exceed-
ingly fine, yielding what we may very properly term a “nap,”
almost as fine and soft as that of velvet. Some varieties of
Festuca are no less beautiful and hardly less fine. How these
grasses would thrive under the shade of trees I cannot certainly
say, but I recall a remark made by Mr. Olcott when asked which
would do best in the shade. It was: ‘‘ Those that do best in the
sun.” While some may question the exact truthfulness of this
remark, there may be more in it than we may at first suppose.
But there are good turf grasses which will grow in the shade of
trees, where the shade is not too dense and they are given a
reasonable amount of care. These are Meadow Foxtail and the
Various-leafed Fescue (Mestuca heterophylla). Crested Dogstail
is spoken highly of by some; also Rough-stalked Meadow grass

:

16

(Poa trivialis) and Wood Meadow grass (Pow nemoralis). If I
were experimenting, I should use by preference the Various-
leafed Fescue or Wood Meadow grass. Where the lawn is small,
it looks best unbroken, but in those of considerable extent,
trees and shrubbery may be added to adorn it, and with these
ornamental grasses may be planted. There have been introduced
into cultivation many grasses of special beauty and attractiveness
which may be used with good effect singly or in groups upon the
lawn. One of the finest of these and the most showy when in
bloom, is the beautiful Pampas grass. Nothing surpasses the
elegance of its light and silvery-tinted plumes. Where they will
grow, some of the bamboos are used with good effect to deco-
rate the lawns; and the large Arundo with its beautiful white-
striped leaves, and the more common Eulaha, and forms of our
own Phalaris, belong to the group of ornamentals. Then there
are finer and more delicate species sometimes used for borders,
and of these we may mention such as species of Love grass and
the elegant little Brizas.

As in all famihes of any size or pretension we always find
among the good members composing it a few black sheep, so it is
withthe grasses. As good as they are, as useful as they are, as
beautiful as they are, there are some which by their conduct, by
their selfishness, by their intrusiveness, have become obnoxious,
and we call them weeds. The worst of these which the New
England farmer has to contend with is Couch grass. There are
others, but we will not mention names in so goodly a company.
It sometimes happens that men who are very correct in all they
do under the restraint of home influences and are counted among
the elect, when removed from these influences, will stray from the
path of rectitude. So itis with grasses. Our much-loved Ken-
tucky Blue grass, which every one esteems as a good and useful
grass citizen, has received a bad name away from home. In New
Zealand and Australia its habits are such that it has come to be
looked upon as a vile weed — a lawless outcast, despised by
everybody.

Your President suggested that I tell you something of what
we are doing in the Division of Agrostology. Well, the Division
is devoted to the investigation of grasses, and, in addition, to the
investigation of forage plants other than grasses. From what
I have said already, it is evident that the work is broad, and

17

involves many special lines of study. The work is intensely in-
teresting, and it is our purpose to make it useful to you all. Our
main force at this time is directed to the preparation of a work
in which shall be illustrated and described all the North American
species of grasses, of which there are more than seven hundred.
I am able to show you the character of the illustrations. They
are all original, carefully drawn, and executed on wood. The de-
scriptions will be drawn from the specimens, and it is no simple
matter to classify these specimens into their proper species, as
the botanists among you will understand. During the summer
season we have agents in the field collecting the grasses of the
country, grass seeds of the more promising native species, and
live roots of grasses. These seeds and roots are being propa-
gated in the gardens established by the Department; and at the
same time the material thus gathered is distributed to other
investigators with a view of widening our knowledge by cultural
experiments at other points, or is used in making exchanges. We
have a large correspondence that has to be attended to, and ques-
tions are asked us relative to the qualities of various grasses and
the kinds to be sown in given localities. We try to answer all
these questions, but occasionally one is asked which exceeds our
ability to answer; for example, this, which was actually asked
us: “ What was the first principal grass that began to grow on
what we know as the prairies of Illinois after the drift period or
ice age, and the date, if known?” Such questions we are forced
to refer to a higher authority. Then there are collections of
grasses constantly being received from various sources, to be
named; this work takes time, for often the collections come from
regions where the species are little known and their identification
involves much study. The care of our grass gardens consumes
considerable time, and also the handling of the seeds and the
duplicate collections. Our main work, to which our energies
at present are chiefly directed, is, as just stated, the prepara-
tion of what may be termed the “ Handbook of North American
Grasses.”

The subject selected for me was “Grasses.” It is surely
an interesting one, and I shall indeed have failed in my purpose
if I have not succeeded in securing your interest init. I have
found it impossible to do more than to indicate the importance
of grasses, or hardly more than to name a few of their uses or

18

suggest a few topics for research, almost any one of which would
afford an hour’s entertainment or profitable discussion. The in-
vestigation of grasses has engaged the attention of the ablest men
of science, and the study of their development, their classifica-
tion, their inter-relationships, and their relation to other plants
and to man opens a field to philosophy. They constitute the
wealth of nations; they feed the world ; they minister to the
higher esthetic tastes of mankind by their graceful and varied
beauty ; they heal the sick, and make glad the well.

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