or A. alba, known as creeping bent or fiorin. It is excellent for marsh lands, whether needed for pasture or for hay, and is very suitable for lawns sown alone or with June grass.

A. CANINA. RHODE ISLAND BENT

is smaller than the former, which it much resembles in many respects. The seeds of these are much mixed. The latter is a favorite for lawns. Inquiries about the species of Agrostis are common.

DEYEUXIA (CALAMAGROSTIS) CANADENSIS.

BLUE JOINT.

This tall, native marsh grass is usually called blue joint by people in Michigan and eastward, though half a dozen or more distinct sorts pass by this name as we go westward. This one flowers by the middle of July, when it will cut a heavy crop of very good hay. It is suitable to mix with red top and fowl meadow grasses for low lands.

This is a native in wet places and somewhat resembles the preceding. The top is six inches long and quite narrow, the stems are firm and the leaves harsh, the whole making rather poor hay. It is the original of our striped or ribbon grass found in cultivation.

MUHLENBERGIA GLOMERATA.

Frequent inquiries are made in regard to this native grass, which is found on marshes, where it flowers in August. The stems are about two feet high, wiry, erect, leaves thin, top about one-half by three inches, and usually tinged with purple. In various sections of the United States farmers have given it different common names. Where it is found in abundance, the hay bears a high prize for feeding horses. There are four other species of Muhlenbergia with a more branching habit, common in Michigan, some of them found on dry land and all flowering late.

VANILLA GRASS. (Hierochloa.)

Comes occasionally for a name on account of its fragrance, much resembling that of sweet vernal grass. It is apparently of little value for pasture or hay. The panicle is of a brown color.

RICE CUT GRASS. (Leersia.)

Grows in ditches, and cuts the fingers with its stiff, hooked prickles, which also serve to help to hold up the tall stems by hooking on to other plants. The leaves are sensitive, and close up when rubbed between the thumb and finger. An interesting grass, but of no agricultural value.

This native is sometimes called blue stem. It grows four to six feet high, has a woody stem, and flowers late. In the east it is not considered of much account, but on the dry plains of the west it is valued for hay.

Other grasses of less importance are sent for name or other information, such as burr grass, wild barley, some of the weeds of the grass family, the small annual variety of sweet vernal grass, wild oats, etc.

A western professor sends one hundred and fifty bunches of grass for name;

others want a list which promises well for Missouri, Dakota, Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, or Michigan; others ask for those most suitable for marshes, the names of which are noted above.

A man in Illinois is told to try June grass if he desires a grass to keep the banks of a ditch from washing, and at the same time wants one which will not choke the ditch.

Seeds of June grass are sometimes sent to Germany, where they are sold as Poa trivialis, rough stalked meadow grass. Some of them come back to Michigan Agricultural College for identification after passing through a seed station in Germany, and one in New England.

Mixed lawn grasses are beginning to come in since our bulletin was issued stating that June grass and red top were the best and only grasses needed for most lawns.

Some ask what permanent grasses will thrive best in an orchard or in a grove. Orchard grass and June grass are named for this purpose.

Grass seeds from this college have been sent for trial to the Agricultural colleges of six other States.

WHEAT AND CHESS.

Large numbers of specimens have been sent, and several have been brought by persons to show that wheat will turn to chess. So far, each one has failed in every attempt. In brief, all the cases so far seen can be summed up as follows: A chess root ran into an old hull of wheat, which was pulled up with the chess plant; bunches, or plants of wheat and chess, were closely interwoven by the roots and lower stems, but with no connection; the top part of a chess plant had been pulled out, and one of wheat, cut off, and crowded down in its place; a panicle of chess had been crowded down into the upper sheath of a plant of wheat; some small portions of a panicle of chess had been purposely or accidentally broken off and clasped by the chaff of a spike of

wheat.

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE, MICH.,

15,

W. J. BEAL, Professor of Botany aud Forestry.

STANDING COMMITTEES.

Business Committee.-W. H. COBB, Kalamazoo; A. O. HYDE, Marshall; JOHN C. SHARP, Jackson.

Committee on Transportation.-J. M. STERLING, Monroe; W. L. WEBBER, East Saginaw; W. J. BAXTER, Jonesville.

Committee on Finance.-M. P. ANDERSON, Midland; E. W. RISING, Davison Station; D. W. HOWARD, Pentwater.

Committee on Premiums.-WM. BALL, Hamburgh; I. H. BUTTERFIELD, JR., Lapeer; JOHN LESSITER, Jersey; W. H. Cовв, Kalamazoo; A. F. WOOD, Mason; A. O. HYDE, Marshall; H. O. HANFORD, Plymouth.

Committee on Rules.-WM. CHAMBERLAIN, Three Oaks; A. J. DEAN, Adrian; GEO. W. PHILLIPS, Romeo.

Committee on Reception.-PHILO PARSONS, Detroit; WM. L. WEBBER, East Saginaw; W. J. BAXTER, Jonesville.

Committee on Programmes.-A. O. HYDE, Marshall; I. H. BUTTERFIELD, Lapeer; G. W. PHILLIPS, Romeo.

Committee on Printing and Advertising.—A. J. DEAN, Adrian; J. C. STERLING, Monroe; CHARLES W. YOUNG, Paw Paw.

General Superintendent.-J. M. STERLING.

Chief Marshal.-A. O. HYDE.

EXECUTIVE SUPERINTENDENTS.

Cattle.-I. H. Butterfield.

Horses.-G. W. Phillips.

Sheep.-D. W. Howard.

Swine.-John Lessiter.

Poultry.-J. Q. A. Burrington.

Miscellaneous.-John C. Sharp.

Manufactures.-Henry Fralick and F. L.

Reed.

Agricultural.-Amos Wood.
Machinery.-Wm. Chamberlain.

Farm Implements.-H. O. Hanford, Abel
Angel and Charles W. Young.

Fine Arts.-W. J. Baxter and Jonathan Dairy.-J. P. Shoemaker.
Parsons.

Music.-M. P. Anderson.

Vehicles.-John Gilbert.

Bees, Honey, etc.-M. J. Gard.

Children's Department.-Miss Minnie H. Forage.-E. W. Rising.
Brow.

Needle Work.-Miss Minnie H. Brow.

Gates and Gatekeepers.-Wm. Ball.
Police.-W. H. Cobb.

MEETING OF THE LOCATING COMMITTEE.

KALAMAZOO, March 23, 1885

The Locating Committee met at 8 o'clock P. M., pursuant to the call of Cha.rman Cobb.

Present-President Humphrey, Messrs. Hyde, J. M. Sterling, and the Sec

retary.

The evening was spent in discussing the question of location, and a recess was taken until Tuesday A. M.

TUESDAY A. M., March 24.

The committee assembled, and proceeded to business.
Mr. Cobb offered the following:

WHEREAS, We deem it for the best interest of the Michigan State Agricultural Society and all concerned, that a settlement of ownership of property on the Kalamazoo Fair grounds be made before the location of the next Annual Fair is determined; therefore, Resolved, That President Humphrey be authorized and requested to settle the point of ownership of property and buildings on the Fair grounds at Kalamazoo, with Col. F. B. Stockbridge (meaning property and buildings belonging to Col. Stockbridge according to contract, for the $4,000 paid by him in 1884).

Resolved, That President Humphrey be authorized to locate the fair for 1885, after having made such settlement.

The resolutions were adopted by the following vote: Ayes-Prest. Humphrey, Messrs. Cobb, Hyde, J. M. Sterling, Treas. Dean and the Secretary, 6; nays, 0.

Committee adjourned.

J. C. STERLING, Secretary.

E. O. HUMPHREY, President.

LANSING MEETING.

LANSING, June 8, 1885.

In pursuance of the resolution passed at the Winter Meeting of the Executive Committee, a meeting was held at the Hudson House, June 8. President E. O. Humphrey in the chair.

The roll was called, and the following named members of the committee found present: Prest. Humphrey, Messrs. Rising, Hyde, Hanford, Ball, Lessiter, Cobb, Sharp, Gard, Wood, Chamberlain, Angel, Shoemaker, J. P., Howard, Gilbert, Anderson, Baxter, Phillips, Parsons, and the Secretary.

Mr. W. H. Cobb, Chairman of the Business Committee, reported that the committee had decided to erect a new building 32x100 feet for the Agricultural Department. The buildings and grounds are in good shape.

Mr. Cobb also reported that the Locating Committee had settled with Col. Stockbridge, agreeing what buildings, stalls, etc., should be left on the Fair grounds for the $4,000 subscription money paid by the citizens of Kalamazoo. Report accepted.

Supt. Gilbert, of the Carriage Department, stated that buildings assigned to his department were not large enough to accommodate the exhibit.

Supt. Hanford, of the Implement Department, asked for a better water supply in that department.

The Printing Committee asked for instructions in reference to printing catalogues, and upon motion, were instructed to publish two thousand copies and to offer them for sale at ten cents each.

Upon motion the crop correspondents were granted free passes to the Fair upon same terms as previous years.

The exclusive right to sell candies on the Fair grounds was asked for, and upon motion the matter referred to the Business Committee.

An invitation to visit the Agricultural College having been accepted, it was voted to start from the hotel at 8:30 Tuesday morning.