. The grasses of Tennessee; including cereals and forage plants. Grasses; Forage plants; Grain. 84 THE GEASSES OF TENNESSEE. BED-TOP—HERDS GRASS— {Agrostis vulgaris.) Erect stems, slender, smooth, polished, round; roots creeping, pan- icle oblong, leaves linear, ligule very short, lower palese mostly awnless, and stem nerved. Flowers in July. It was introduced from England, where it was known as Bent grass. When first cultivated it went by the name of English grass. There are many species now raised in England, which are still known as Fine Bent. It is scattered over the whole State and but fe
. The grasses of Tennessee; including cereals and forage plants. Grasses; Forage plants; Grain. 84 THE GEASSES OF TENNESSEE. BED-TOP—HERDS GRASS— {Agrostis vulgaris.) Erect stems, slender, smooth, polished, round; roots creeping, pan- icle oblong, leaves linear, ligule very short, lower palese mostly awnless, and stem nerved. Flowers in July. It was introduced from England, where it was known as Bent grass. When first cultivated it went by the name of English grass. There are many species now raised in England, which are still known as Fine Bent. It is scattered over the whole State and but few old pastures are free from it, but there it is so dwarfed by close grazing and treading that it shows to but little advantage. It is commonly called in these situations fine-top. Next in importance to timothy as a meadow grass stands Herds grass. Unlike the former, it also makes a good grazing grass—in fact grazing is necessary to its preserva- tion, as, if allowed to go to seed a few year's, it dies out. It loves a moist soil, and on swampy places that will grow scarcely anything else, herds grass will thrive wonderfully. It is the most permanent grass we have, and by means of its long, creeping roots, will even, if sown too thin, quickly take possession of the ground. It is greedily eaten, while young and tender, in the spring by all kinds of stock, and affords a fine nourishing hay, though in less quantity per acre than timothy. It grows from two to three feet high, and with its purplish panicles, when in full bloom, presents a most charming sight in its soft feathery un- dulations. It is oftener mixed with other grasses than sown alone, especially with timothy and clover. But it fails to come into harvest as early as clover, and the same objections may be urged against it that are to timothy. It yields, on moist bottom land, from one and a half to two tons per acre, but on uplands it is not a good producer. On thin lands it will. Please note that these images are ex
Size: 1051px × 2377px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectf, booksubjectgrasses
