2(i4 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



by cultivation and by the propinquity to other 

 plants, preventing the overspreading-, and by closely 

 feeding the stems. The merits of the grass on 

 these lands claim much attention, as it is much 

 relished by all kinds of grazing animals. 



The produce of cocksfoot grass at the time of 

 llowering was found to be 27,905 lbs. an acre; 

 and when the seed was ripe, 26,544 lbs., and the 

 lattermath 11,910 lbs.; the nutritive quaUties of 

 flowering and ripening differing little, and that of 

 the lattermath being about one-half. The grass at 

 flowering is, in value, as 3 to 3 of the lattermath, 

 and the ripe grass to the flowering as 7 to 5. The 

 lattermath is very abundant, which shows the pro- 

 lific qualit}% and the produce gains nothing by per- 

 fecting the seed ; 1,920 grains of the leaves yielded 

 80 grains of nutritive matter, of which 100 grains 

 gave 59 of mucilage or starch, 11 of saccharine 

 or sugar, and 30 of bitter extractive or saline mat- 

 ter. It flowers in June, and perfects the seed in 

 July, but much later if grazed in the spring ; when 

 sown with other grasses for hay and pasture, it 

 may be used at the rate of one or two pecks an 

 acre, according to the quality of the soil, and the 

 quantity of the ^eedsof the other jjlants. Cocksfoot 

 likes a moist soil. A hard dry clay, and a total ab- 

 sence of clay, are equally unsuitable. It thrives 

 much in damp situations and in orchards. 



This grass is not eligible for hay : the stem are 

 few, rise high, and are harsh and coarse. The only 

 quality is an early herbage of leaves on the tufted 

 hassocky roots, and that onW on damp soft lands. 

 The fourth assignment of utility, is a full award 

 of its merit. 



FOXTAIL GRASS 



Is very abundant in many parts of Britain, and in 

 others scarce or wholly wanting. It rises in erect 

 smooth culms, leafy, and from one to two feet in 

 height ; leaves smooth, flat, glaucous ; upper ones 

 rougher, very short, with long, furrowed, slightly 

 swelling sheaths; spike soft, about two inches long, 

 dense, erect; most of the flowers stalked; seed-cup 

 awned at the base; awn geniculated, twice as long 

 as the flower, and naked ; root fibrous; seed ovate ; 

 it is sometimes found awnless. 



This grass is very early in growth, being the 

 first that is unsheathed, except the sweet-scented 

 vernal grass, which it closely succeeds; it is easily 

 known in the meadows by the soft woolly spike on 

 a long stalk, when no other grass has appeared. It 

 is adapted for moderately moist lands, and ex- 

 tremes of wet and dry soils are adverse to its 

 growth. From being found in great abundance in 

 many of the best meadows and pastures, it has been 

 much esteemed and recommended as being supe- 

 rior to most grasses in the three requisites of earli- 

 ness, quantity, and quality, and that the seeds are 

 easily collected and the stems prolific. The quahty 

 in respect of nutritive matter is superior to many 

 grasses; the quantity of produce is much exceeded 

 by others, and it is too much confined to one place 

 of growth to admit a general and valuable utility. 

 A large portion of the seeds are constantly de- 

 troyed by the larva? of a species of muscee, and in 

 many spikes scarcely one is found perfect. The 

 seeds are very scarce and dear, and light and very 



difficult of separation for the purpose of sowing, 

 and except on very soft damp lands, almost ap- 

 proaching to watered meadows, little success has 

 attended the use of foxtail grass in the alternate 

 husbandry, or for pastures. In many instances, 

 no plants ever vegetated ; the shyness of growth, 

 and the uncertainty of vegetation, exclude the use 

 of this grass in the alternate husbandry : for per- 

 manent meadows it is more adapted, as it requires 

 time to come to perfection, and from sending up 

 shoots from the spreading root, one objection is 

 removed, and the bareness of seeds is thought to 

 be obviated by allowing the first culms of the sea- 

 son to bring the seed to maturity. For permanent 

 purposes it requires good encouragement in the 

 quality and preparation of the land, and a damp 

 softness of composition, and at the same time a 

 considerable degree of adhesiveness of texture, and 

 in the most favourable situations a portion of the 

 seeds never vegetate. For the essential purposes 

 of the fanner — quickness of growth and abundance 

 of produce in the greatest variety of circumstances — 

 the foxtail wholly fails in competition with ray- 

 grass, fescue, catstail, and cocksfoot, either for hay 

 or for some years in pasture. If it was sown 

 singly, or along with others, in competition with any 

 of the above grasses, under the ordinary circum- 

 stances of cultivation, and on soils from the 

 watered meadow to the scorched sands, the infe- 

 riority would be at once apparent and decisive. The 

 great recommendation has proceeded from favour- 

 able situations, and from too limited comparisons, 

 the great fault that almost invariably attends the 

 introduction of any article for a general use. The 

 quantity of seed is 4 lbs. to an acre. 



The produce of an acre of foxtail grass at the 

 time of flowering is stated at 20,418 lbs.; when 

 the seed is ripe, at 12,931' lbs., and the lattermath 

 at 8,167 lbs., which bears to the flowering crop 

 the value of 4 to 3, aod the ripe crop the value of 

 8 to 9 ; the quantity of nutritive matter in the ripe 

 crop and the lattermath is nearly equal, and about 

 double that of the flowering crop; 1,920 grains of 

 leaves yielded 96 grains of nutritive matter, of 

 which lOO gave 64 of mucilage or starch, 8 of sac- 

 charine matter or sugar, and 28 of bitter extractive 

 or saline matter. 



The foxtail grass is strictly perennial, shoots 

 readily, and grows abundantly where it fairly holds; 

 and the lattermath is very abundant, but it must be 

 confined wholly to permanent purposes, and under 

 the very best encouragement and cultivation. It 

 flowers in May, and throughout the summer, and 

 ripens in June and July, 



DOGSTAIL GRASS 



Is a plant of great value on all dry hard soils, and 

 is found in the very best and soundest of our pas- 

 tures. It rises in erect culms, about one foot in 

 height, mostly cylindrical, striated, leafy, from a 

 perennial, fibrous, tufted root ; leaves linear, acute, 

 smooth ; spike obtuse, straight ; a variety has been 

 found with four rows of spikelets. 



This grass is chiefly adapted for arid soils and 

 open grounds, and on all poor lands it is one of 

 the most valuable of ^the grasses yet known. The 

 fohage is small, and also rather late in rising in the 



