The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-06-06
rgu BDNEFrcENcE OF GRASS.
The Most Useful and Indispensable Part
Of Earth's Vegetation.

Next in Importance to the divine pro-
fusion OF water, light and air, those three
Great physical facts which render exist
ence possible, may be reckoned the uni
versal benefcence of grass. Exaggerated
by tropical heats and vapors to the gl-
k4ntlc cane congested with It's saccnarine
secretion, or dwarfed by polar rigors to
tns tlorous hair OF northern solitud,s,
e...Lraclng between these extremes the
u.alzs with It's resoiute pennoLs, the r.ce
p.aal Of southern swamps, the wheat,
rye. barley, oats and other cereals, no
less than the humber verdure OF hillside,
pasture and prairie In the temperate zone,
grass is the most widely distributed OF all
yege table beings, ard Is at once the type
OF our life and the emblem OF our NOR
tality. Lying in the sunshine among the
bultorc,ips and dandelions Of May,
scarcely higher in intelligence than thS
minute tenants of that mimic wilderness,
our earliest recolections are Of grass;
and when the fitful fever Is ended, and
the foolish rangle Of the market and
forum is closed, grass heals over the
scar which our descent into the bosom OF
the earth has made, and the carpet OF the
infant becomes the blanket Of the dead.
AS he reflected upon the brevity Of
human life, grass has been the favorite
symbol Of the morallst, the chosen theme
OF the philosopher "All flesh is grass"
SAID the prophet; my days are as the
grass" sighed the troubled patriarch;
and the pensive Nebuchadnezzar, In his
penitentlal mood. exceeded even these,
and, as the sacred historian informs us,
did not eat like an OK
Grass Is the forgiveness Of nature-her
constant benediction. Fields trampled
with battle saturated with blood, torn
with the ruts Of cannon, grow green
again with grass, and carnage is for
gotten. Streets abandoned by traffic be-
come grass grown like rural lanes, and
are obllterated. Forests decay, harvestS
perish, flowers vanish, but grass Is i'm
mortal. Beleaguered by the sullen hosts
Of winter It withdraws into the impreg-
nabe fortress of its subterranean vital
ity, and emerges upon the first solicita-
tion OF spring Sown by the winds, by
wandering birds, propagated by the sub
tie horticulture of the elements which are
Its ministers and servants 1t softens the
rude outline OF the world. Its tenacious
fibers hold the earth In Its place, and
prevent its soluble components from
washing into the wasting sea. 1t invades
the solitude of deserts, climbs the inac.
cesslble slopes and forbidden pinnacles Of
mountains, modlies climates, and de,
termines the history, character and des.
tiny Of nations. Unobstruslve and pa
tlent, 1t has immortal vigor and aggres-
sion. Balished from the thoroughfare
and the field, It bides Its time to return.
and when vigilance is relaxed, or the
dynasty he's perlshed, 1t silently resumes
the throne from which II has been ex.
pelled, but which 1t never abdicates. 1t
bears no blazonry OF bloom to charm the
senses with fragrance or splendor, but Its
homely hue Is more enchanting than the
lily or the rose. II yields no fruit In
earth or air, and yet should Its harvest
fail for single year, famine would de-
populate the world.
One grass differs from another grass
in glory. One is vulgar and another
patrlclan There are grades In its vege>
table nobility. Some varieties are use-
full; some are beautiful; others combine
utility and ornament. The sour, reedy
herbage of swamps is base born. Timothy
Is valuable servant. Redtop and clover
are degree higher in the social scale.
But the king Of them all, with genuine
blood royal, is blue grass. Why it Is
called blue, save that 1t Is most vividly
and intensely green, Is inexpllcable; but
had its unknown priest baptized 1t with
all the hues OF the prism, he would not
have changed its hereditary title to i'm
perlal superiority over all its humber
kim"