A simple and familiar herbaceous plant pike captivates with its naturalness. It can often be found in the forest belt, in fields and meadows, in city parks and squares, along the banks of rivers and lakes, along roadsides. The plant is ubiquitous in Central Asia, Western and Eastern Europe, in the mountains of the Caucasus, North America, Australia, Africa. Soddy pike or meadow grass is a common harmful weed of fodder plantations. At the same time, the plant is very often used in the design of personal plots in moorish style, as well as for landscaping gardens, giving the site a cozy, simple and natural look.

Soddy pike is a perennial herbaceous plant of the genus Lugovik, family Cereals. Forms tussocks or dense sods. When describing the soddy pike and other species and varieties of meadow grass, attention is paid to the height of the plant, the size and shade of the inflorescence, the length and thickness, the color of the leaves, and the height of the stems.

Many gardeners and landscape designers use a variety of plant flowers to decorate the garden, including pike. At the same time, the meadow has a number of advantages. Compared to other decorative garden plants this perennial is able to germinate in one place for many years, is quite unpretentious and undemanding to care, forms a hummock - turf. Also, the plant has a very simple decorative look that lasts almost year-round and fits into any landscape design.

The height of the bush, depending on the variety, varies from 20 to 170 cm. The leaves are mostly basal, dark green or gray-green, long, flat or folded lengthwise, with a solid edge, narrow-linear, about 0.3-0.5 cm in width. Backside The sheet has a sharply rough surface, due to which the sheet acquires a more rigid structure. With the onset of cold weather, the leaves do not die.

Inflorescences are spike-shaped sprawling panicles, the length of which varies, depending on the variety, from 7 to 25 cm. They are formed on long bare (up to 100 cm) stems. The inflorescences consist of often planted, almost perpendicular, two or three-colored spikelets 2-5 mm long, brilliant green, yellow, pale lilac. When ripe, they acquire a golden wheaten or reddish-brown color.

All above-ground parts form a turf tussock. It takes 4 years for a pike to grow to its full size. For 1-2 years, the plant grows to half its height, an abundant green mass is formed. In the next two years, several internodes are formed, a rosette of the second tier is formed, including stems.

Only after the formation of the second tier, the plant is able to bloom and bear fruit. In the process of development, bumps form over time from a dense dense turf.

The root system is fibrous, in fields and meadows up to 60-80 cm penetrates into the soil, in wetlands up to 10-20 cm.

After flowering, a grain-fruit is formed: an oblong shape, up to 3 mm in length and 0.7 mm in width. One plant is capable of producing 500-3000 seeds. In early spring, the first shoots appear, in early summer the bush begins to bloom. The plant bears fruit in July.

Species and varieties

Breeders bred about 40 different varieties pike based on natural species. When propagating, plants use two methods - seed and vegetative (bush division). Wild-growing forms are propagated by seeds, hybrid varieties - by dividing the bush. Despite the fact that adult plants actively bear fruit, active self-seeding occurs, however, parental signs in hybrid varieties are not reproduced.

Soddy meadow and winding meadow have many varietal forms, which are quite similar. The Antarctic Meadow has been conquering everything lately more territories, however, in terms of prevalence, it is not as popular as winding or soddy.

Antarctic meadow grass

Antarctic meadow grass

It is found in Antarctica, which is why the species got its name. also in natural environment can be found in the northwestern part of the Antarctic Peninsula, on the South Shetland, Malvinas and other islands, in the south of Chile and Argentina.

Due to global warming, the plant's distribution area has expanded significantly. Meadow antarctic prefers light, warm areas on the slopes of the mountains, as well as stony soil. Plant height no more than 20 cm. Very frost-resistant species, cold period time does not affect the flowering of the bush. The bush has a short growing season. The beginning of the growth stage falls on November: seeds germinate, last year's torments “wake up”. Panicles begin to bloom in December.

soddy meadow

soddy meadow

It is a typical species. Numerous ornamental varieties have been bred on its basis.
Soddy meadow grass is common in Europe, Asia, North America, the Far East.

Grows up to 30-100 cm in height. The leaves are basal, dark green, narrow, no more than 5 mm wide, long, rough on the upper side, hard. Panicles up to 10-20 cm long, consist of dense sprawling spikelets.

Light-loving, frost-resistant look. Flowering occurs at 4-7 years of age. Soddy meadow is able to live and bear fruit in one place for several decades.

winding meadow

winding meadow

The height of thin smooth stems is about 30-60 cm, the rhizome is short, creeping. The leaves are thin, long, hair-like or needle-shaped, die off as they grow, lie down, thereby forming a curtain (tussock) up to 20-40 cm in diameter. The inflorescence is a loose panicle, branched, after flowering it acquires a brown, very rarely whitish color.

It grows in sparse forests, fields and meadows throughout the northern hemisphere (in Europe, Asia, Japan, China, North America). The winding meadow easily propagates by self-sowing, thus it can become a malicious weed in the garden.

Turchanin's pike

Turchanin's pike

The plant is endemic to the vicinity of Lake Baikal, listed in the Red Book. Meadow Turchaninov - perennial, forms dense turf. Stems 20-60 cm high, glabrous, straight. The leaves are narrow, 0.1 cm wide, folded lengthwise, glabrous. Panicle oblong-ovate, flowering period June-August.

plant care

The bush grows very quickly. To give it a neat, beautiful shape, in the spring, at the initial stage of growth, it is necessary to cut the stems and foliage with secateurs under the "hedgehog". Otherwise, the tussock may look "gray" due to last year's old leaves, thereby losing its decorative appearance.

+ 25 ° is considered a comfortable temperature, higher temperatures adversely affect the plant.

Regular watering is required only for young plants and in very dry weather.

Meadow winding, pike soddy, meadow antarctic produce a lot of seeds, as a result of which they provoke regular self-seeding, clogging the nearest territory. To prevent self-seeding, the stems with the inflorescence are removed before flowering. As soon as the stems reach 20-30 cm in height, they are cut as close to the soil as possible.

If the bush has become “bald” and untidy over time, it is dug up or divided into new bushes.

Pike is a plant of a cold-seasonal nature: it begins to grow at low spring temperatures and high humidity soil. In summer, when sultry hot weather sets in with temperatures above + 25 °, the bush falls into dormant mode. In autumn, when the temperature drops and the rainy season begins, the meadow "wakes up" and begins to grow again.

Pike in spring

Lighting

For regular growth, development and abundant flowering the plant needs to choose a well-lit place. In the shade and partial shade, the bush is able to actively grow, but due to lack of lighting, the plant rarely blooms.

The soil

The plant is unpretentious and undemanding to the soil, able to grow on any soil composition. However, when adding organic and mineral fertilizers his decorative properties only improve: the bush actively responds with a lush, elegant green mass, abundant flowering.

How to plant a pike in the garden

The bush can be propagated by seeds that retain good germination. Even pike seeds not buried in the ground are able to germinate, but not all seedlings survive due to lack of moisture, lighting, and heat.

To obtain a new beautiful lush bush, plots from adult plants are used. They retain all decorative qualities mother plant, while when propagated by seeds, you can get a bush that is completely different from its parents.

Landing

The best time for planting is spring and autumn. The plot must be at least 15 cm in diameter. Dig a hole wider and a little deeper than the size of the bush requires. The plot is set in a hole, buried in the ground, slightly deepened, well watered. Regular watering is required in the first two weeks after planting.

Transfer

It is carried out in the spring (April - May) or in the fall. It is highly not recommended to transplant a bush at an outdoor temperature of + 20 °. Old bushes that stick out of the ground and have lost their decorative effect are dug up, cut with a shovel or knife into small pieces. The main thing is that they keep their roots.

Breeding

Divide only mature plant with a well-developed rhizome and well-formed turf. You can buy a ready-made bush in a pot (plot with an open root system) in a specialized flower shop. If the bush is bought in the summer, then it will quietly stand in a pot in the shade with regular watering. As soon as the temperature outside becomes comfortable for transplanting, the bush is planted in a permanent place.

You can separate the plot from the bush without digging it out. To do this, with the help of a shovel or a knife, a part of the bush is separated from the edge (1-2 plots). This procedure does not affect the decorativeness of the plant. Empty place covered with earth, rammed, watered abundantly.

Medicinal properties

The medicinal properties of the soddy pike are actively used in the production of medicines, and also used for home use(baths, decoctions, infusions).
Assign in the early stages of the manifestation of infectious and viral diseases, skin ailments, herpes, hepatitis, rheumatism, neuroses. Dried roots have a diuretic, diaphoretic property. They are prescribed in the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, kidney diseases.

Soddy pike can quickly help with poisoning. It is enough to chew a few fresh leaves in your mouth to reduce signs of intoxication.

Contraindications

Soddy meadow and all dosage forms based on it, it is not recommended to take with allergies, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.

Use in landscape design

Antarctic meadow, winding meadow, other species and varieties will fit perfectly in the garden in a variety of flower ensembles with various ornamental plants that have leaves and inflorescences of a different shape. Soddy pike goes well with heather, iris, buzulnik, daylilies, astilbes.

Thanks to the lush, plentiful, numerous pike grass, it looks good along fences, walls, paths, singly and in groups on the lawn, in stone gardens, among trees, along reservoirs.

In addition to simplicity, decorative appearance, abundant green mass, numerous panicles, the soddy pike forms hummocks. This is the reason for the change in the surface structure. land plot, which acquires an uneven, bumpy surface. This feature must be taken into account when landscaping the backyard.

Weeds are the scourge of gardeners and gardeners, and they spend most of their time fighting them. However, there are pleasant exceptions. So, a strong and tenacious weed meadow soddy learned to use in decorative purposes. Each of you has seen this plant in the meadows, it also grows willingly along the rivers, resembling a small tussock from which a cereal panicle grows.

general description

Today you can buy the seeds of this plant and plant it beautifully on your site, forming your own landscape. But if you walk along the river bank or wetland, then you will surely find dozens of adult "pikes" from which you can collect seeds. Soddy meadow is surprisingly tenacious, beautiful and interesting plant. They form dense sods and bumps. They love wet meadows and banks of reservoirs, fields and pastures. Soddy meadow, for all its decorativeness, is a harmful weed.

Characteristic

The main advantage of this species (if we consider it as a garden decoration) is vitality. Seeds germinate under almost any conditions, and an adult soddy meadow is unpretentious. The roots of the plant go deep into the ground. In meadows they can reach 70 cm, and in swamps about 20 cm. The stems are straight, up to 100 cm. The inflorescence is presented in the form of a beautiful multi-spike panicle, which fits very elegantly into any landscape. Panicle spreading, large, about 25 cm long.

Meadow soddy ("pike") belongs to the family of cereals. The inflorescence consists of spikelets of small size. Spikelet scales are uneven, they can be purple at the base, and yellow or green at the edges. The whisk can be used to make dry bouquets. They look very elegant at home in winter time, especially if you choose the right vase.

spring shoots

At a relatively low temperature in early spring the first shoots begin to appear, it is a soddy meadow coming out of the ground. The description would be incomplete, if not to say about the amazing gift, exceptional vitality. If you are going to grow "pike" on your site, then you can sow it before winter. Seeds will undergo natural stratification, and in the spring you will get strong and friendly seedlings.

Bloom

Soddy meadow ("pike" soddy) begins to bloom in early summer, releasing a luxurious panicle. It is on it that numerous seeds ripen, which by the middle of summer will begin to crumble. Of course, you don’t need to trim a beautiful panicle. It is enough to know one rule, the seeds do not germinate when embedded in the soil by 5 cm or more. That is, in the fall it will be enough to dig up the ground on the site, and in the spring you will not have friendly growth.

plant development

In the first year of life, the "turfy pike" bushes. The gardener can control this process by constantly trimming the excess. Otherwise, as a result, the plant forms thick turfs, which gradually turn into spectacular bumps. Only in the second year a panicle appears, now the "pike" can bloom and bear fruit. Stems grow at high speed, new shoots appear.

It is this property that causes harm to the plant. The formation of tussocks leads to a change in the soil surface in meadows and pastures. It becomes bumpy and unsuitable for mowing. The leaves of old plants are unsuitable as hay. That is, the "pike" displaces other grasses, and is itself useless as a feed.

The use of "pike"

This is a very beautiful, decorative cereal plant. It is often used in the design suburban area. This is a very convenient plant, as it grows quickly, requiring almost no care. But landing cannot be left without attention. The fact is that the plant develops very quickly, so the extra stems and foliage must be removed in a timely manner, otherwise you will get an ugly bump.

But even after the flowering period is over, flexible and long leaves and straws can be used to stuff mattresses and pillows, and some craftsmen weave various crafts from this raw material.

Perfect condition anywhere

This is one of the main reasons why the "pike" has become a favorite of gardeners. She feels great in almost any soil, ranging from marshy to sandy, although the latter is not typical for her growth. Thanks to various, especially variegated, varieties, it has become a favorite among gardeners. In summer, at temperatures above +25 degrees, the plant hibernates, while fully preserving its decorative effect.

"Pike" turned out to be a convenient and fertile material for breeding new forms and varieties. Their main differences are the length of the leaves, the shades of the spikelets, the height of the peduncles and other indicators.

Agricultural technology

"Pike" prefers to grow on moist soil, at a moderate temperature. If there is an area around garden pond, where constant dampness and nothing else wants to take root, then this is an ideal place for this weed. Too high temperatures can cause a loss of decorativeness, especially if the soil is not moist enough.

It prefers to grow in the sun, but it will also feel good in partial shade, however, in this case it does not bloom so abundantly. If the plant was planted on sandy soils, then it needs constant watering. In swampy lowlands, you can not moisten additionally. In the spring, you can feed with nitrogen or universal fertilizers.

Varieties

Meadow soddy Goldtau is the largest of all existing today. It reaches a height of up to 170 cm, and the width of the bush is up to 50 cm. A very elegant cereal that forms a dense bush. The leaves are thin, do not die off for the winter. Spreading panicles are golden yellow. The plant blooms in June-July. Winter hardiness zone - 4. This means that the plant calmly tolerates frosts down to -35 degrees. Drought tolerant but requires frequent watering at temperatures above +25 degrees.

Goldshlier

Goldschleier is another popular plant form that is quite often used to decorate gardens. The height of the grass is up to 1 meter, the width of the bush is up to 50 cm. It keeps the shape of the bush well, since it grows rather slowly. It is especially beautiful during flowering, at this time the inflorescences are golden yellow. Gradually they fade and become grayish. Do not forget that the plant is large, so you need to choose a good place for planting.

Northern Lights

This variety is suitable for those who need to emphasize the beauty of a small pond that does not want to be covered with large bushes. Height about 30 cm, does not bloom. This is a plus and a minus, the lack of seeds does not give him the opportunity to encroach on the rest of the garden. The leaves are green, with a white longitudinal stripe. In cool weather, it can turn pink. By autumn, the leaves become brownish. Winter-hardy, can grow in partial shade, any soil, but always moist.

Not all gardeners know how to competently ennoble their site with a minimum of worries and costs. It is these summer residents who can be advised to pay attention to the soddy pike. An ornamental plant is called unpretentious and interesting, but completely without supervision, a soddy meadow will turn into an untidy tussock and a weed in a flower bed.

Description and characteristics

Deschampsia caespitosa ( soddy pike) - perennial cereal family(monocotyledonous), genus meadow grass.

AT agriculture culture is recognized as a weed that is difficult to get rid of. In design at good care considered a worthy decorative element.

It is a soddy tussock 20-200 cm high with narrow long leaves about 5 mm thick texture. The lower part is smooth, and on the upper side there are small parallel furrows.

The inflorescences of the meadow grass are similar to panicles, which are dominated by small spikelets 7-25 cm long. Depending on the plant variety, choose the color of the spikes, the main shade of which is brown-gold.

Grows well in places high humidity such as swamps, ponds, ponds, wet forests, fields, meadows, pastures and roadsides.

Good conditions for decorative flowering pike soddy goldtau celebrate hot days with abundant soil moisture. Despite the dislike of dry weather, it blooms better in the heat, but with sufficient watering.

Shoots can be seen already in the spring, in a rather cold time. Starts to bloom at the beginning summer period, and the first fruits ripen in July. At the end of flowering, deschampsia (turfy pike) changes color from green to yellowish gray or brown.

The plant is used in folk medicine, it is believed that decoctions and infusions from the meadow grass can heal from colds and solve skin problems.

In some regions, straws are used to weave hats and similar headdresses, while someone tries to use them as stuffing for mattresses and pillows.

Pike turfy like a weed

Since up to 3 thousand seeds can be obtained from one plant, and the soddy meadow grass is quite unpretentious, this grass is considered a weed in some habitats.

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Landscaping of the site

Landscape design of the site is a real art, which involves a whole group of specialists. Landscaping is individual, because you can hardly find two identical plots: each house with its surrounding plot and landscape is unique. Therefore, designers and planners create a landscape design that is suitable only for you and where all your dreams come true. Landscape design is only up to your imagination. For example, you need to beautifully decorate your terrace for a pleasant pastime. Or maybe you're dreaming of small pond, where a cascade with murmuring water will be arranged. If the project provides for a swimming pool, then a changing cabin is needed, and the ground around the entire perimeter must be covered with safe materials.
Having equipped the fountain, you can listen to the sound of falling water. To someone the presence of reservoirs on personal plot is not necessary, then a landscape designer can realize the appearance of the presence of water with the help of a "dry" stream. The fantasy of our landscape designers is limitless, and the photo gallery of our implemented projects will help you in determining what the suburban area should be. Our company employs creative individuals who are experienced and highly qualified specialists, ready to fill your garden with life, which will bring the joy of communicating with it for many years.
Our landscape design studio strives to preserve and ennoble the natural environment that has developed on the site. In this regard, each tree, shrub or part of the relief, according to your desire, will become an integral organic element of the new garden design. Our experts love their work and will be happy to provide any assistance!

Nursery ornamental plants

We are engaged landscaping personal plots, dachas, suburban and urban areas. Our task is integrated approach to gardening. We are ready not only to give you beautiful and adapted plants, but also to deliver them and plant them.

Only competent and qualified specialists in various fields work in our plant nursery. Each of us has unique knowledge of planting and transplanting plants, pruning trees and shrubs, we will tell you how to properly care for the garden and give recommendations on landscape design.

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Synonyms

Systematics on Wikispecies

Images at Wikimedia Commons

IPNI TPL

Meadow soddy, or pike(lat. Deschampsia cespitosa) - a type species of perennial herbaceous plants of the genus Lugovik of the family Cereals, or Bluegrass ( Poaceae), forming hummocks or dense sods. Numerous varieties are used as ornamental garden plants.

natural varieties

• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. borealis(Trautv.) Tzvelev
• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. bottnica(Wahlenb.) Tzvelev
• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. cespitosa
• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. macrothyrsa(Tatew. & Ohwi) Tzvelev
• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. orientalis Hulten
• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. paludosa(Schubl. & G. Martens) G. C. S. Clarke
• Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. parviflora(Thuill.) K.Richt.

Spreading

Description

Stems 30-100 (120) cm tall, together with numerous basal leaves form a dense dense turf.

The root system is quite deep - up to 70-80 cm in meadows and floodplains (up to 20 cm in marshy places).

Leaves 0.5-3 mm wide, folded lengthwise, stiff, long, grayish-green, along the ribs, especially marginal, sharply rough. The leaves are topped with rows of spines directed towards the top of the leaf; these rows look like sharp edges.

Panicles are large, 10-25 cm long, sprawling, with almost horizontally deflected, strongly rough branches, on which spikelets are quite densely located. Spikelets 2(3)-flowered, small, 3-3.5 mm long. Spikelet scales are yellow-green, green and pale purple, with golden shiny edges, lanceolate, unequal. The lower glumes are narrowly lanceolate, the upper ones are broadly lanceolate. Lemma light purple, equal to each other, obtuse, with serrated edges; lower - with inconspicuous lateral veins and a thin awn, not exceeding the spikelet. Anthers 1.2-1.5 mm long.

The life cycle of an individual shoot is rather complicated: during the first two years, each shoot exists as a shortened rosette. AT next year it forms 1-2 elongated internodes, then again forms a rosette of leaves. Thus, by the fourth year, the hummock becomes two-tiered. Only then is it possible to move to the generative stage.

Usage

Before flowering and fruit ripening, it is readily eaten by livestock; produces coarse, low-nutrient hay. It is considered a weed of pastures and hayfields. Straw can be used to weave hats.

Agricultural technology

Seeds have virtually no dormant period. Germination occurs in the autumn, or next spring. Most of the seedlings die without having time to develop normal root system to the period of summer moisture deficiency. Perhaps this is the main reason for some confinement to wet habitats.

In the fourth - fifth year around the hummock, you can see a ring with a sparse herbage. The toxic effect of pike on surrounding plants is suspected. The first flowering is observed in the sixth - seventh year. The generative period lasts for decades. At the height of the generative phase, up to 100-150 generative shoots can be observed per turf (up to 10% of shoots). In old age, one can observe the death of the central part of the turfs and the transfer of the tillering zone centrifugally (by false rhizomes and elongation of existing internodes). Then - fragmentation of the turf and overgrowth of the ring.

The species is indifferent to the mechanical composition of the soil. Prefers strong moisture. Tolerates significant soil compaction without harm.

In shady places flowering is weak. In spring, pruning of old shoots is required.

Varieties

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Notes

Literature

• Gubanov, I. A. and others. 133. Deschampsia cespitosa(L.) Beauv. - Meadow soddy, or Pike //. - M .: T-in scientific. ed. KMK, In-t technologist. issl., 2002. - V. 1. Ferns, horsetails, club mosses, gymnosperms, angiosperms (monocots). - S. 227. - ISBN 8-87317-091-6.

Links

• : information about the taxon in the Plantarium project (a key to plants and an illustrated atlas of species).

An excerpt characterizing the Soddy Meadow

The troops were the same, the generals were the same, the preparations were the same, the disposition was the same, the same proclamation courte et energique [short and energetic proclamation], he himself was the same, he knew it, he knew that he was even much more experienced and more skillful now than he was before, even the enemy was the same as near Austerlitz and Friedland; but the terrible swing of the hand fell magically powerless.
All those old methods used to be invariably crowned with success: the concentration of batteries on one point, and the attack of reserves to break through the line, and the charge of the cavalry des hommes de fer [ iron people], - all these methods had already been used, and not only there was no victory, but the same news came from all sides about the dead and wounded generals, about the need for reinforcements, about the impossibility of knocking down the Russians and about the disorder of the troops.
Previously, after two or three orders, two or three phrases, marshals and adjutants galloped with congratulations and cheerful faces, declaring the corps of prisoners of war as trophies, des faisceaux de drapeaux et d "aigles ennemis, [bunches of enemy eagles and banners,] and cannons, and carts, and Murat he asked only for permission to send cavalry to pick up the baggage trains.So it was near Lodi, Marengo, Arcole, Jena, Austerlitz, Wagram, etc., etc. Now something strange was happening to his troops.
Despite the news of the capture of the flushes, Napoleon saw that it was not the same, not at all what had been in all his previous battles. He saw that the same feeling that he experienced was experienced by all the people around him, experienced in the matter of battles. All faces were sad, all eyes avoided each other. Only Bosse could not understand the meaning of what was happening. Napoleon, after his long experience of the war, knew well what it meant in the course of eight hours, after all the efforts expended, a battle not won by the attacker. He knew that this was an almost lost battle, and that the slightest chance could now - on that tense point of hesitation on which the battle stood - destroy him and his troops.
When he went over in his imagination all this strange Russian campaign, in which not a single battle was won, in which neither banners, nor cannons, nor corps of troops were taken in two months, when he looked at the covertly sad faces of those around him and listened to reports that that the Russians are still standing, - a terrible feeling, similar to the feeling experienced in dreams, seized him, and all the unfortunate accidents that could destroy him occurred to him. The Russians could attack his left wing, they could tear his middle apart, a stray cannonball could kill him himself. All this was possible. In his previous battles, he considered only the accidents of success, but now countless accidents appeared to him, and he expected them all. Yes, it was like in a dream, when a villain is advancing on him, and in a dream the man swung and hit his villain with that terrible effort, which, he knows, should destroy him, and feels that his hand, powerless and soft, falls like a rag, and the horror of irresistible doom seizes the helpless man.
The news that the Russians were attacking the left flank of the French army aroused this horror in Napoleon. He sat silently on a folding chair under the barrow, his head bowed and his elbows on his knees. Berthier approached him and offered to drive along the line to see what the situation was.
- What? What are you talking about? Napoleon said. - Yes, tell me to give me a horse.
He mounted and rode to Semyonovsky's.
In the slowly dispersing powder smoke throughout the space through which Napoleon rode, horses and people lay in pools of blood, one by one and in heaps. Napoleon and none of his generals had ever seen such a horror, such a number of people killed in such a small space. The rumble of guns, which did not stop for ten hours in a row and exhausted the ear, gave special significance to the spectacle (like music in live pictures). Napoleon rode out to the height of Semenovsky and through the smoke he saw rows of people in uniforms of colors unusual for his eyes. These were Russians.
The Russians stood in tight ranks behind Semyonovsky and the kurgan, and their guns ceaselessly hummed and smoked along their line. There was no more fighting. There was a continuing murder, which could lead neither the Russians nor the French to anything. Napoleon stopped his horse and fell back into that thoughtfulness from which Berthier had led him; he could not stop the deed that was being done before him and around him and which was considered to be led by him and dependent on him, and for the first time this deed, due to failure, seemed to him unnecessary and terrible.
One of the generals who approached Napoleon allowed himself to suggest that he bring the old guard into action. Ney and Berthier, who were standing beside Napoleon, exchanged glances and smiled contemptuously at the general's senseless proposal.
Napoleon lowered his head and was silent for a long time.
“A huit cent lieux de France je ne ferai pas demolir ma garde, [Three thousand two hundred miles from France I can’t let my guards be defeated.] – he said and, turning his horse, rode back to Shevardin.

Kutuzov was sitting with his gray head bowed and his heavy body lowered on a bench covered with a carpet, in the very place where Pierre had seen him in the morning. He did not make any orders, but only agreed or disagreed with what was offered to him.
“Yes, yes, do it,” he replied to various proposals. “Yes, yes, go, my dear, take a look,” he turned first to one, then to another of his associates; or: “No, don’t, we’d better wait,” he said. He listened to the reports brought to him, gave orders when it was required by his subordinates; but, listening to the reports, he did not seem to be interested in the meaning of the words of what was said to him, but something else in the expression of the persons who, in the tone of speech, informed him, interested him. He knew with many years of military experience and understood with an old mind that it was impossible for one person to lead hundreds of thousands of people fighting death, and he knew that the fate of the battle was decided not by the orders of the commander-in-chief, not by the place on which the troops stood, not by the number of guns and killed people, and that elusive force called the spirit of the army, and he followed this force and led it, as far as it was in his power.