262 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



a jointed or toothed common stalk, or rachis, hol- 

 lowed in the sides, into which the seeds are pressed; 

 the receptacle is elongated into a spike, which is 

 many-flowered. The glume or husk is constantly 

 of one valve, which is awl-shaped, and contains 

 many flowers ; seed one, oblong, contained in 

 unequal valves, the outer one curved slightly ; root 

 fihrous, annual or perennial ; stems several, jointed, 

 leafy ; leaves flat ; spikes two ranked, of numerous 

 alternate spikelets. The husk is permanent in one 

 valve ; the second one is very diminutive, if at all 

 present, the place being supplied by the side of the 

 stalk, to which the sessile spikelets are closely 

 pressed. 



This plant flowers about the second vv'eek in 

 June, and ihe seed is ripe about the same time in 

 July. In the experiments that were made on the 

 produce and qualities of a great number of the 

 grasses, the results of which were published in the 

 " Hortus Gramineus Woburnensis," the ray grass 

 of an improved variety produced at the time of 

 flowering 7,827 lbs. of herbage per acre, and at the 

 time of the seed being ripe, 14,973 lbs., and of 

 lattermath 3403 lbs. ; the quantity of nutritious 

 matter diff'ers but little at the time of flowering and 

 when ripe, and one-half in the lattermath ; the 

 value at the time of flowering and when the seed 

 is ripe, is as 11 to 10, and to the grass of the lat- 

 termath as 5 to 2 ; it is inferior to cocksfoot as 5 

 to 18, and to foxtail as 5 to 12; and to meadow- 

 fescue as 5 to 17 : results quite contrary to the 

 practical opinions of the utility of the respective 

 plants. The leaves of ray grass, cut in April, from 

 1920 grains gave 70 grains of nutritive matter, of 

 which 100 grains gave 65 of mucilage or starch, 7 

 of saccharine or sugar, and 28 of bitter extractive 

 or sahne matter. 



Doubts have been entertained of the persistent 

 perennial quality of ray grass, as it has been ob- 

 served to fail in certain places within a few years, 

 and it has been conjectured that a partial perennial 

 property has been accidently derived from the an- 

 nual plant. This observation has not extended to 

 any fixed diminution in the persistency of the ray 

 grass. It has been objected as being benty in the 

 stem, and spiry in the whole plant, wanting in fo- 

 liage, and deficient in the lattermath. 



The very great and innumerable properties of 

 ray grass, in which it excels all other grasses, are 

 a readiness of growth on a large variety of soils, 

 from the burning sand and arid chalk, to the 

 strongest clay that is cultivated ; the produce of an 

 abundance of seed, which is sound and healthy, 

 easily gathered, and very conveniently manufac- 

 tured ; the sending up for crop a number of stems 

 of equal height, thereby resembling the grain crops, 

 being the most valuable property which a grass 

 plant can enjoy, and always yielding, with more 

 certainty than any grass, a fair crop of herbage 

 that is of sufficient quality and ample in bulk. The 

 spiry bentiness is only found on inferior grounds, 

 disappearing in good cultivation, when the stems 

 are succulent and juicy. No plant is more sus- 

 ceptible of change from altered circumstances. 



The most enlightened and extensive experience 

 directly reverses the results stated by the " Hortus 

 Gramineus Woburnensis," and places the ray 



grass in the scale of superiority for general utility, 

 whatever the chemist may determine. The single 

 quality, avoiding all others, of resembling the grain 

 crops, in a number of stems of an equal height, is 

 quite sufficient to overturn all the chemical oppo- 

 sition in the matter of quality. In fair cultivation, 

 the ray grass yields a suflficient foliage and latter- 

 math. For a crop of hay, one bushel of seed along 

 with clover covers an acre of ground ; for two 

 years in pasture, half a bushel is sown, and for 

 permanent pastures one-fourth of a bushel, as it is 

 still acknowledged that ray grass must hold a chief 

 place in any sowing of grass seeds. If it disap- 

 pears ultimately in a certain degree, it grows 

 readily at first, and aflfords herbage till others ad- 

 vance, and supply its place ; when cut for hay, it 

 yields a ready growth, and when pastured, it 

 shoots and flowers frequently during the season. 



The general merits of ray grass very fully justify 

 its being placed foremost in the list of grasses. In 

 some one point it may be excelled, but no grass is 

 known on which the farmer can so much depend 

 for a crop of hay, and experience has not found 

 many, if any, that are more valuable for pasturage, 

 and in permanent purposes. Many grasses produce 

 only one stem in the season ; ray grass sends up a 

 succession ; it rises early in the spring, and is 

 much relished by all kinds of grazing animals. 



THE MEADOW-FESCUE GRASS 



Very justly occupies the next place to the ray 

 grass in respect of general utility. The stem is 

 erect, spreading, leafy, knotty; leaves generally 

 narrow, rigid, and glaucous green ; flowers panicled, 

 often purplish, nearly or quite erect; sometimes in- 

 clined, spreading, directed to one side, obhque ; 

 spikelets without awns, linear, compressed ; florets 

 numerous, oblong, obscurely ribbed ; leaves flat ; 

 root fibrous and perennial. The grass is found in the 

 richest pastures, and on land of mostly all quali- 

 ties, but preferring those of a soft damp pasture; 

 it is strictly and persistently perennnial, very 

 hardy, and grows readily on moist soils ; it yields 

 much foliage, and never becomes tufted like some 

 other grasses ; it ripens abundance of sound and 

 healthy seed, which is easily gathered. Thus it pos- 

 sesses the valuable qualitiesof yieldingan abundance 

 of seed, a ready growth on most soils, from the 

 scorched sands and arid chalks, to the marshes and 

 flooded lands ; it yields a sweet and abundant 

 herbage much rehshed by cattle, and is equally 

 valuable for hay, alternate pastures, and in perma- 

 nent meadows. For the two latter purposes, it is 

 indispensable ; and for hay of one year, no plant is 

 so fit to accompany the ray grass, as it attains a 

 size and produce the first year that is so necessary 

 along with quick growth, for a purpose of short 

 duration. The quantity of seed to an acre is 4lbs. 

 in the three of hay, pasture, and meadow. 



The produce of this grass on an acre at the time 

 of flowering, has been stated at 13,612 lbs. ; when 

 the seed is ripe at 19,057 lbs., the nutritive matter 

 of the latter being only one-fourth of the former. 

 In point of nutritive matter in the crops of the sea- 

 son, and without the lattermath of the fescue, as 

 it is rather late in flowering, it is superior to the 

 foxtail as ] 1 to 9, and inferior to cocksfoot as 2 to 



