Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume VIII.djvu/175

 GRASSES 16T tivator. The root stocks, improperly called roots, possess great vitality, and if broken in the processes of cultivation, each joint is capa- ble of producing a new plant. The genera and species of grasses are numerous, and are esti- mated to form ^ 2 part of all known flowering FIG. 5. Sweet-scented Vernal Grass (Antho- xanthum odoratum). FIG. 6. Eed-top (Agrostis vulgaris). ts; they are found in all parts of the In temperate regions they are usually low growth and carpet the surface of the th, but toward the tropics they are taller more tree-like in habit. The extremes in ,ture are striking when we contrast the mute Phippsia of the arctic regions, only inch in height, with the tropical bamboo, hich elevates its stem, strong enough to serve mast, to the height of 60 ft. The grasses by far the most useful of all plants, the or- r including wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, ce, millet, guinea corn, and sugar cane, be- des numerous less known grains which fur- ish breadstuifs to aboriginal people in various arts of the world, and many species used for animal food in the form of hay. In enumera- ting the useful qualities and harmless character 'f grasses, an exception has been made in the ise of darnel (lolium temulentum), which has ng had the reputation of producing a poison- s grain ; but, as will be seen under DARNEL, is is doubted. Aside from furnishing food, e economical uses of the grasses are many ; e of the most important of these are given nder BAMBOO ; other grasses furnish materials r mats, cordage, the plaiting of hats, &c. One ' the sources of paper stock has within a few ears- been found in the esparto grasses, ly- geum sparteum and stipa tenacissima, of the shores of the Mediterranean. Some species, as the sand reed of our coasts, and especially the tussock grass (dactylis ccespitosa) of the Falkland islands, are of essential service in re- taining the blowing sands. Different genera FIG. 7. June or Blue Grass (Poa pratensis). have species which are highly fragrant; the sweet-scented vernal grass (anthoxanthum odo- ratum) has a grateful vanilla-like odor, and to its presence is due the fact that the new-mown hay of the older states is so much more fra- grant than that in more recently settled locali- ties, where this grass has not yet become nat- uralized. Seneca grass or holy grass (hierochloa fiorealis), a native spe- cies, has a still more marked odor. Two or more species of andro- pogon furnish the oil- of-lemon grass or citro- nelle, used in perfume- ry ; and the vetiver of the French comes from another species of the same genus. Perma- nent Meadow and Pas- ture Grasses. The num- ber of grasses sown by American farmers is limited ; the common practice being to sow one or two sorts toge- ther with clover, mow it for hay for one or two years, and then use the field for pasturing un- til the land is required for cultivation. They rarely sow grass expressly for making a per- manent pasture ; and as the grasses best for hay are not those most suited to grazing, our pas- tures are of an inferior character compared with , those of England. Timothy (phleum pratense) stands at the head of the hay-making grass- es. (See TIMOTHY.) Next in order is red-top (agrostis vulgaris), also call- ed in different lo- calities fine - top, Rhode Island bent, Borden's grass, and in Pennsylva- nia and southward herd's grass, a name which in New York and New England is exclusively applied to phleum or tim- othy ; it was for- merly called Eng- lish grass. It grows from 1 to 2 ft. high, according to sit- uation, and has a slender open panicle of small one-flowered spikelets, the reddish color of which suggested its best known common name. It varies greatly with the character of the soil, but in no case yields as largely as tim- FIG. 8. Orchard Grass (Dacty- lis glomerata).