SOME SUGGESTIONS AS TO EXPERIMENTING WITH GRASSES.

BY W. J. BEAL.

AS "grass is king among the crops of the earth, and the foundation of all agriculture," the family deserves closer study by the
husbandman. The former neglect of the grasses, owing to the great
difficulties of learning to distinguish them, leaves a field of great
promise, ready for those who are willing to study and experiment,
patiently, for many years to come.

1. It will be folly to attempt very many experiments with grasses
without they are under the eye of a good agrostologist.

2. Try as many species as possible from every known quarter of
the earth, planting in rows three inches apart. Make the plats one
by ten rods after they seem to promise usefulness.

3. Scatter the plats as much as possible, allowing none to come
next to each other, on account of the liability to become mixed by
the scattering of seed.

4. Sow certain combinations of species which thrive well in any
place, to compare with each sown by itself.

5. Sow some combinations of grasses which produce no rootstocks.

6. Sow or plant certain grasses, mixed, the species all producing
rootstocks.

7. On a variety of soils, in several parts of the country, sow in
rows three inches apart, and weed out all excepting grasses, seeds of
a large number of species mixed together. Grow these for years,
noting the changes that take place.

8. Analyze several species of grasses of the same age and species
grown on similar soils; in one case the grasses to be much crowded,
in the other, each plant to have an abundance of room.

9. Try to improve grasses by culture and selection, and changing
seed. Try some on rich land, with good care, and plenty of room,
and compare with the same species neglected on poor soils and
crowded. Select seeds of both lots and sow for comparison.

10. Select ground for stations, say in Michigan, Nebraska, Texas
and Arizona.