Grasses for Permanent Pasture 



247 



The former is termed " yellow seed," and is 

 most highly esteemed ; although the vegeta- 

 tive powers of the other are not necessarily 

 impaired by the tarnishing. About 28,000 

 seeds are contained in i oz. The gi-eatest 

 number of these braird when covered with 

 not more than a quarter of an inch of earth ; 

 about half as many when the covering is from 

 three quarters to one inch ; and none appear 

 from under an earth covering of two inches. 

 The diminutive produce of C. cristatus, and 

 the unsightly appearance of its dry innutritious 

 "windlestraws" in autumn, render its intro- 

 duction, as before stated, into pastures unad- 

 visable ; but as it is the most suitable of flat- 



CHEMICAL ANALVSL- 



Seed highly magnified. 



.Seed slightly magnified. 



leaved grasses for lawns, play-grounds, and 

 bleaching-greens, it should be used in mix- 

 ture with other grass seeds at a rate of never 

 less than 6 lb. of seed to the acre, while even 

 twice that quantity may be allowed on stiff 

 damp soils which are unfavourable to the 

 permanent endurance of the finer fescue- 

 grasses, rye-grass, and others. 



By the Woburn experiments the nutritive 

 extract at the period of flowering was found 

 to be at the rate of about 407 per acre, which 

 was only increased to 478 lb. at seed ripening, 

 although the green produce was then doubled; 

 and that of the lattermath was only equal to 

 about 133 lb. per acre. Professor Way's 

 analyses of its plants, gathered in the mea- 

 dows about Cirencester, at the period of 

 flowering, shewed them to contain 62.73 of 

 Avater, 4.13 of albuminous or flesh-producing 

 principle, 1.32 of fatty matter, ig.64 of res- 

 piratory principles, starch, gum, and sugar, 

 9.80 of Avoody fibre, and 2.38 of mineral 

 matter or ash ; while the same in a dry state 

 yielded 11.08 of albuminous or flesh-produc- 

 ing principle, 3.54 of fatty matter, 52.64 of 

 respiratory principle, starch, gum, and sugar, 

 36.36 of woody fibre, and 6.38 of mineral 

 matter or ash. 



VARIETIES. 



There are no distinct varieties of this grass 

 in cultivation, nor does it, when growing in a 

 natural state, present any marked differences, 

 either in size or appearance, unless a vivi- 

 parous or grass-upon-grass form, which is 

 occasionally to be met with in moist shady 

 places. Unlike true viviparous grasses, this, 

 however, is not perpetuated by the same 

 plants in dry seasons or when grown on dry 

 exposed places; hence it is not worthy of 

 being reckoned a decided variety. 



