much as sedges and grasses are outwardly much alike—indeed some species of the latter are called Carnation grass—but greatly dif ferent in quality; grasses being for the most part nutritious plants, whilst sedges are not only usually innutritious, but from the harshness of their herbage, are often a source of injury and annoyance to the creatures that from starvation are sometimes doomed to eat of them.

The blade-lamina, is the expanded part of the leaf. It is sometimes large and drooping, as in the larger or flag-like grasses, but occasionally it is very minute, especially when compared with the sheath, as in the Avena pubescens, (Soft Oat Grass.) In some species the blade is long and the sheath short. The blade is traversed by longitudinal parallel lines which are called the leaf veins or nervures; these may be broad, narrow, rigid, soft, armed with rough hairs, and so on, all of which are not only points of distinction in species, but aid in making up the sum of those differences which will ever be found in good and bad pasture grasses: as for instance, grasses in which the herbage is covered with long downy hairs, are mostly poor and innutritious in quality; on the other hand, those of a harsh and rigid structure, with serrated leaves, whose edges act as a saw, and whose flat blades perform the office of a file, even if nutritious, would nevertheless be refused by cattle on account of their mechanical inconvenience.

The ligule, from the Latin ligula-spoon, scoop or strap. At the point where the sheath ends and the blade begins, occurs a thin and usually white semi-transparent membrane, termed the ligule or tongue. This, as it varies so much in size and form, will be frequently referred to in examining species, by some such terms as the following:

Short, in Poa pratensis-Smooth-stalked Meadow Grass;
Pointed, in Poa trivialis-Rough-stalked Meadow Grass;
Notched, in Bromus mollis-Soft Brome Grass;

In pairs, in Ammophila arundinacea-Sea Sand Reed.

Its value as a distinctive character may be drawn from an examination of Poa pratensis and P. trivialis, as it assists at a glance, to distinguish two grasses much alike in appearance, though very distinct in habit and general properties. The use which this part of the leaf subserves would appear to be that of more securely fast

ening the upper part of the sheath to the culm, as without it the wind would tear the leaves downwards, in which case their functions would become much disturbed and they would soon wither and die.

The flower in grasses consists of the elements of an entire plant, each bunch, spikelet or locusta of flowers being but a grass in miniature, consisting of a central axis or stem with its alternately arranged leaves, the stamens, pistils and seeds in the axils of which are but buds; this fact may at once be seen in viviparous specimens, such as are often found in the Lolium perenne (Perennial rye-grass) and Cynosurus cristatus, (Crested dog's-tail,) in which instead of flowers, we have complete buds, which have been detached and grown as distinct plants of their respective species.

In these examples the case is very different from that of germination in the ear which takes place in lodged and damp wheat, as in the latter the seeds have been perfected, and germination takes place from heat and moisture in the usual manner; but in viviparous growth, the envelopes and their organs, instead of growing seeds on the principle of arrested development, go on growing into branches, and no seed is consequently perfected.

Flowers consist of the following parts:

Glume, from the Latin gluma, husk or chaff, outer chaff scales,

Glumel, or (palea, a Latin word of nearly sim-Floral envelopes. ilar signification with gluma), inner

Seeds-grain-reproductive organs.

Floral envelopes, upon the theory here adopted, consist of metamorphosed leaves; they are arranged in pairs, and each scale starts from an opposite side of the central axis, but not from the same point. The outer pair subserves the same use as the Calyx in other plants, and receives the name of calyx glume; the inner pair or pairs for sometimes several occur in a single glume-is termed glumel or palea, and the pieces of which either are formed, obtain the name of valves; the lower one being the outer, and the upper one the inner of each respectively.

The glumes differ in shape, and in the presence or absence of lon

gitudinal lines or ribs; it may be large enough to include or conceal the glumel, or it may be considerably smaller than the latter.

The glumel or palea is often found to be armed by a projecting spine or beard; this is of greater or less length, and is termed the awn, and may be well observed in bearded wheat and in wild and cultivated barleys. This organ when long and stiff, and armed as it is sometimes with projecting spicula, renders grasses wherever they occur, exceedingly objectionable, especially for hay, though the grass may be good if kept from flowering by constant depasturing; such are the species of Hordeum, (wild barley.)

The fertilizing organs consist of the stamens, which possess the following parts:

The filament or thread which supports

The anther or case in which is secreted
The pollen or fecundating dust.

The filament, by reason of its length, may cause the anther to be exserted or standing out from the flower, or from shortness to be inserted or included in its valves.

The anther may be varied in its color as follows:
Colorless, as in Poa annua-Annual Meadow Grass;
Flesh color, in Phleum pratense-Timothy Grass;
Rose, in Alopecurus pratensis-Meadow Foxtail;
Purple, in Aira caespitosa-Hassock Grass;
Yellow, in Bromus mollis-Soft Brome;
Orange, in Bromus erectus-Upright Brome.
The pollen is usually of a light straw color.

The Pistil consists of a style, which is in one, or as it were, split into two parts, each surmounted by a stigma, either pointed or feathery; they are mostly very pale in color, but occasionally highly tinted.

The grasses with but few exceptions, belong to the Linnean order Digynia, (having two stigmata,) and the L. class Triandria, (having three stamens.)

Seeds are sometimes loose in the chaff-scales, as in the wheat; in others the glumel is adherent, as in barley, a circumstance which may readily explain how readily wheat grain is shed when "dead ripe," as the attachment of the seeds to the chaff-scales is much less firm than that of the flower to the flower stalk.

We will again mention all these parts together and commend

their study, with a grass in hand:

Root { Fibres the true root fibres.

Rhizome-creeping underground stems.
Culm-the whole above-ground stem.

Stem, Joint-a single length from node to node.
Node the hard knot between the joints.
Sheath-the folding portion of a leaf.

Leaf, Ligule-the tongue of the leaf.

Blade the lamina or free part of the leaf.

Floral envelopes,

Fertil'ng
Organs,

Stamen,

Glumes the outer chaff-scales in pairs.
Glumels or pales-the inner chaff-scales in pairs.

Filament the thread supporting the anther.
Anther-the pouch containing the pollen.
Pollen-the fertilizing dust.

Style the support of the stigma.

Pistil, Stigma-the receptable for the pollen.

Seeds-the reproductive organs.

A barren shoot-a flowerless branch.

Thus far we have described the separate parts of the structure of the grasses; we have now to point out the terms used to designate them when taken together, as follows:

Herbage, that is, the leaf portion, principally concerned in pasture.

Culm, or parts which grow upright and make up so much of the bulk and weight of hay.

Heads of flowers; the various forms which they assume.

The quality of grasses depends so much upon the quantity and physical character of the herbage that, for agricultural purposes, these should always be noted with great care; hence if for hay, both bulk and quality is much influenced by luxuriant leafage, a character in which grasses will be found to differ in a remarkable degree; if however, this be rough and unpalatable, no matter how great its quantity, such should be discouraged. Again, if for pasturing, it will be necessary to note such facts as longevity, and how the species succeeds in sending up herbage under continual mutilation by feeding off. Many grass fields are at first mown for hay, and afterwards pastured; so that it is well to encourage the growth of all such species as will be found adapted to our soil, and will yield us the best return in both hay and herbage. Connected with this, we must not omit duration; as for permanent pasture, peren

nial grasses are absolutely necessary, annual species having nothing to recommend them.

The Culms of grasses, whether hard and wiry or soft and pliable, bitter or saccharine, scanty or abundant, should also receive attention; as hay both in quality and bulk, will much depend upon these circumstances.

Heads of flowers. These are aggregated from single locusta, spikelets, or smaller bunches or bundles of flowers, which may vary in the following manner:

A single glumel to each pair of glume valves;

b Two glumels and sets of flowers to a pair of glumes; c Three or more glumels to each pair of glume valves.

Each flower, or locusta of flowers as b and c would be termed, may be attached to the stem in various ways:

On short upright foot-stalks (pedicels) in which the flowers unite into a compact head or spike, as in the Foxtail grasses;

On longer upright foot-stalks (pedicels) forming an upright panicle as in soft Brome;

On long and flexile foot-stalks, (pedicels,) a drooping panicle, as rough-stalked Brome.

It is not proposed to give technical descriptions of all the grasses which may be mentioned, but a few are added for the purpose of drawing the attention of the young farmer, who may be so disposed, to their minute differences, and this with the hope that many will procure the necessary aids and prosecute their investigations with diligence and perseverance.

PHLEUM.-Stamens 3; styles 2; flowers spiked; spikelets single flowered; spike compact; glumes distinct; glumel of two equal awnless valves.

Phleum pratense-Timothy-Herds Grass of New England. Glumes equal, truncated, with long points; each valve having a row of stiff hairs on the back; leaves long, flat, rough, with long sheaths; perennial.

AGROSTIS.*-Stamens 3; styles 2; spikelets in an open panicle; single flowered; glumes of two unequal valves, often longer than the glumel, the inner valve of which is sometimes minute or wanting, the outer either awned or awnless.

* Name derived from the Greek Agros, a field.