CANARY-GRASS (Phalaris canariensis). An annual grass of which seed is much used, under the name canary-seed, as food for cage birds, and which is, on that account. cultivated to some extent in the south of Europe, :Ind in certain districts of Germany and England. It is a native of the Canary Islands, the south of Europe, north of Africa. and Asia. It has been introduced and has become naturalized in Eng• land and various parts of the United States. It attains a height of 2 or 3 feet, and has a crowded, c•gg-shaped, spikedike panicle. from an inch to almost 2 inches long. A fine flour is prep:tied from canary-seed. which is employed as glue or sizing in fine cotton-weaving, and for the finish ing of silken stuffs. The groats and flour of this small kiml of grain are also used in the Canary Islands. in Barbary, and in Italy, as food, the flour being made into bread, which is very nu tritious and pleasant. (Other closely allied spe cies of Phalaris produce a similar grain. hut are inferior in productiveness and quality. bleed canary-grass (Phalaris arundinarea) is very com mon on the banks of lakes and rivers, and in other wet places in Groat Britain, throughout southern and central Europe, and in the United States. It differs very numb in appearance from
ea na ry-gra ss, having, a la rge, spreading panicle, generally of a reddish color, and the ghillies are winged at the keel. It is a somewhat reedlike grass, i to 6 feet high, with creeping roots, which help to secure river-hanks, and yields a great bulk of hay, hut has been very generally despised as a coarse grass. However, it is said to he very nutritious, and is readily eaten by both horses and (-attic when cut early. .\ variety with white-striped leaves is well known in rdens as ribbon grass. Soul hem ca int ry grass ( Phalaris ('aroliniana), and its variety, Augusta, range from South Carolina to Florida, and westward through Texas to California and 1regon. The variety is called Apache timothy, from the resemblance the head bears to that of timothy. It is valued for forage on amount of its nmaining green throughout. most of the win ter. For illustration. see Plate of C‘MET.1.1AS.