Trapped In Time - Chapter 125

On the golf courses, the grass is kept in three distinct conditions: that of the rough, the fairway, and the putting green. Grass on the fairway is mown short and even, allowing the player to strike the ball cleanly. Playing from the rough is a disadvantage because the long grass may affect the flight of the ball. Grass on the putting green is the shortest and most even, ideally allowing the ball to roll smoothly over the surface. An entire industry revolves around the development and marketing of grass varieties for golf courses.

In tennis, the grass is grown on very hard-packed soil, and the bounce of a tennis ball may vary depending on the grass’s health, how recently it has been mowed, and the wear and tear of recent play. The surface is softer than hard courts and clay (other tennis surfaces), so the ball bounces lower, and players must reach the ball faster resulting in a different style of play which may suit some players more than others. Among the world’s most prestigious court for grass tennis is Centre Court at Wimbledon, London which hosts the final of the annual Wimbledon Championships in England, one of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

Ornamental grasses, such as perennial bunch grasses, are used in many styles of garden design for their foliage, inflorescences, seed heads. They are often used in natural landscaping, xeriscaping and slope stabilization in contemporary landscaping, wildlife gardening, and native plant gardening.

There are economically important of grasses:-

1. Grain crops are Barley, Maize (corn), Oats, Rice, Rye, Sorghum, Wheat and Millet

2. Leaf and stem crops are Bamboo, Marram grass, Meadow-grass, Reeds, Sugarcane, Lawn grasses, Bahiagrass, Bentgrass, Bermudagrass, Bluegrass, Buffalograss, Centipede grass, Fescue, Ryegrass,

St. Augustine grass,

3. Ornamental grasses (Horticultural) are Calamagrostis spp., Cortaderia spp., Deschampsia spp., Festuca spp., Melica spp., Muhlenbergia spp., Stipa spp.

As regards to their role in society, the grass-covered house in Iceland. You may have seen this here also on the Magical World.

Grasses have long had significance in human society. They have been cultivated as feed for people and domesticated animals for thousands of years. The primary ingredient of beer is usually barley or wheat, both of which have been used for this purpose for over 4,000 years.

In some places, particularly in suburban areas, the maintenance of a grass lawn with trees is a sign of affluence, status symbol, of the homeowner, it also indicates a healthy green space and an ample supply of fresh oxygen.

Some common proverbs that use the word grass are as follows:-

“The grass is always greener on the other side” suggests an alternate state of affairs will always seem preferable to one’s own.

“Don’t let the grass grow under your feet?” tells someone to get moving.

“A snake in the grass” means dangers that are hidden.

“When elephants fight, it is the grass which suffers,” tells of bystanders caught in the crossfire.

A folk myth about grass is that it refuses to grow where any violent death has occurred.

Then it is said that vegans and vegetarians are grass eaters. But it seems that non-vegetarians also eat grass but to a lesser extent. They also consume wheat, rice, maize, etc as cereals.

Cathy exclaimed that this was was great information. She did not know that cereals like rice, wheat, and maize were covered under the heading of grasses. This meant that we are all grass eaters to the extent of 50-75%, even if we are non-vegetarians.

It is difficult to imagine that even barley and sugar cane are covered in grasses, added Sherpa with surprise, He further added that throughout life we always keep learning new things enhancing our knowledge.

Then it was question answer session. Aarvin requested us to ask questions.

Ben wanted to know whether it felt pain when people trample the grass, it or burnt it or when animals ate it by pullingit.

The grass was amused by the question asked by Ben. It was a valid question.

The grass replied that normally, people do not know that plants can feel. It is only when confronted by the Touch me not or Sensitive plant that people can actually see that plants respond to an external stimulus. If you touch a sensitive plant it closes.

Yes, grass, for that matter all plants, do have feelings. But until recently, science had not able to show this. scientists have performed experiments on the same type of plants. By exposing one set of plants to hard rock and the other plants to classical music, it was noticed that the first set tried to grow away from the hard rock music while the other set of plants grew towards the side where the sound of classical music was coming.

Zoya, who was very sensitive to subtle energies, wanted to know whether plants could transmit messages especially to those who are sensitive i.e. who can feel the vibrations of plants.

The grass replied of course but the trees were in a better position to answer this question. Trees are better able to transmit messages telepathically to the persons which relative is in dire strait or on the death bed and wants to meet him/her.

Ben wanted to know if the different types of grasses ever fought. So he asked the grass this question.

The grass replied that they all lived in harmony. When a particular area is left to itself, colonization starts from the smaller grasses to bigger ones. Lichens are called pioneer colonizers of bare rock. Lichens release small quantity of acids which corrode the surface of rocks creating small pores and releasing minerals. With the passage of time the porous surface changes into a thin layer of soil. Then comes the next and so on till there are grasses which in turn give way to bigger grasses.

It further added that if mankind looks after a particular grass and not let the other types grow by pulling weeds and other types of grasses, then we remain for ages and ages.

The ornamental lawns people have in their designed gardens are well looked after.

Chris wanted to know why such chips could not be installed in the various plants and trees in our school? Learning would be so much fun. He further added that he would put this fact in his report by writing that he came across such a chip on a blade of grass and it gave him information about itself as it could talk.

His idea was good but who will believe him on Earth? Sherpa had explained to him that such chips are not put anywhere. Trackers/Markers are clipped on the ears of endangered animals, to keep track of them. It gives some information. A suggestion can be given but there is no need to add a story to the suggestion.

We had got a lot of information from the grass, Now it was time to ask the Lake to tell us about itself.