OUR NATIVE GRASSES.

We have seen that new countries only
raise or cultivate two or three grasses for
pastures and meadows; the best pastures of
New York or Pennsylvania increase the
number to about six, while in England and
Scotland the people sow thirty, or even fifty
to & hundred or more, if we include all localities. We need more experiments in this
country. Because a new grass does not
thrive well on one soil or in one neighborhood, it need not necessarily fail on all kinds
of land or in all countries.

In mixing seeds care should be taken to
select those which grow best together. An
early and a late variety together would not
be best for a meadow, but might be just the
thing for pasture.

Another point is too often overlooked.
Grasses which by nature are only annuls or
biennials must not be expected to endure for
several years. Again, saying nothing about
the relative value for hay, it must be borne
in mind that nothing is more trying to
meadows than to permit the grasses to go to
seed before cutting, unless the seeds are left
on the ground to spring up and take the
place of those killed by ripening. Bearing
seeds weakens or kills a plant; it is an exhaustive process.

The native or indigenous grasses of Illinois are found in great variety, and many of
them are very valuable in their place and
worthy of a trial elsewhere. But because a
plant is a thrifty native it does not necessarily follow that it is the best adapted to the
farmer's use.

The hardy natives may grow well, but be
less nutritious. The best native grasses may
not be so hardy or grow so vigorously, or be
so nutritious, or so well relished by stock, as
some foreign to the soil. See how the foreign weeds grow which are intruders from
Europe and other countries. With hard
fighting, in many places they are, more than
a match for the natives, which are carefully nursed.

Hunt up new grasses and give every one
of them a fair chance. Get them from Mexico and Europe, from South America and
Australia, from Japan and California. Depend upon it, there are treasures yet undiscovered in some of these countries-treasures
of more substantial value than gold or diamonds. Because some shrewd speculator
has deceived you once, do not cease to trade,
to read, study and experiment. I suggest
that it is probable grasses from a dry climate
will thrive better on our soil than those from
the damp, cool parts of Europe. I do not
know which grasses are the best for every
place, s0 I will not attempt to tell.
In all of North America, two hundred and
fifty native grasses have been described.
During two months at Michigan State Agricultural College, last summer, I found in the

immediate neighborhood fifty-four true
grasses. Most of these were indigenous to
that country; a few were introduced purposely, and several came unbidden and are
called weeds. This fifty-four does not include the cereal grasses. Doubtless the number could be raised to sixty or seventy
species on the college farm of seven hundred acres, by searching carefully throughout the proper seasons. Within the limits
of Michigan the number would be much
larger.

According to the report of Dr. I. A. Lapham, there are one hundred and five kinds
of native grasses in Illinois; eleven introduced species, and twelve that are known
only as they are cultivated. This is a larger
number, in proportion to the whole number
of flowering plants in the state, than is usual
in the same climate. There are but few peculiar to Illinois. Some of the reasons why
this state has such a variety of grasses are as
follows: It has wooded land and prairie; it
touches one of the great lakes, where there
are some plants like those found on the seashore; it is very long from north to south,
giving it a great range in latitude.

In early times the wild grasses were of
great importance in furnishing food for cattle before any land could be cultivated. In
the words of Dr. Lapham, "It is not to any
one species of grass that we should look for
support of our stocks, On the native prairies we find many species intermingled, each
doing its part; some preferring low, wet
situations, others grow only on dry ground;
some prefer the shade of forest trees, while
others flourish best on the most exposed
parts of the broad prairies; some grow only
in the water, others along the margins of
lakes and streams; some attain their maturity early in the season, others late in autumn; some are best suited for preservation
in the form of hay, others are only suited
for pasture. A judicious combination should
be made, having reference to the qualities of
each, and the purposes for which they are
designed by the cultivator."

Some of the old pastures of England are

said to contain twenty species to a square
font in some instances. One or more is in
its prime from early spring till late in autumn. Some grow while others rest.
W. J. B.