TJie Natural History of British Grasses. 519 



wards, so that it is seldom exserted oeyond the glumes ; its upper 

 end only is rough ; plant not creeping. — P. 



H. mollis — creeping soft grass ; awn nearly straight, always 

 exserted, rough along its whole length ; plant creeping on the 

 surface of the ground, — P. 



The first of these is usually found growing in damp meadows 

 near rivers, being a general grass under flooding, but not so 

 under proper systematic irrigation. It is quite useless, possess- 

 ing neither flavour nor nutritive qualities, and much deteriorates 

 meadows in which it abounds. The best method for its eradica- 

 tion Avill be found in the adoption of such farming as will suit 

 better species ; the law of extermination of the weaker by the 

 stronger being nowhere so apparent as in the grass meadow ; for 

 if the circumstances prevail wliich suit those of a good kind, any 

 bad ones either die out or linger on in a wretched and abject 

 state ; but a return to poverty, or a starved condition of the soil, 

 soon causes the bad ones to obtain the ascendancy, and drive out 

 those of a better quality. 



The H. mollis is almost confined to sandy soils, such land as 

 is formed from the disintegration of the conglomerates of the old 

 red, and th.e more arid tracks on the new red sandstones, and the 

 grits accompanying coal-measures are peculiarly liable to it. It 

 spreads in most dissightly tufts in the meadows on such soils, and, 

 from being of no value itself, it is a great pest in the meadows. It is 

 best kept under by well harrowing it from the rest, and following 

 this process with marling and manuring, which may be done with 

 any substance tending to fertility, as it is a grass unknown in rich 

 pastures. Johnston, in his ' A atural History of the Eastern 

 Borders,' remarks that, " when a field of light shallow soil, after 

 being cultivated for a few seasons, is again laid down for grass, an 

 abundant and unlooked-for crop of this grass will often appear. 

 It is one of those cases in whicli we are left to wonder how the 

 seed came there." — (p, 212.) But we need not wonder how this 

 or its congener spreads and gets into cultivation, seeing that each 

 in its own locality is ever found about the homestead, and one 

 plant seeding is enough to stock a wide space of ground. The 

 sweepings of waste places, when they are thus cared for, find 

 their way to the muck-heap ; and from this, agrarian grasses and 

 other weeds are continually being very industriously and equally 

 spread o.ver the land. 



AkijiIENATIIERU.M — panicle lax, fjlumcs of two valves, and 

 two ilorets, the lowest of which has a long twisted awn, 

 the upper one a short bristle on the outer glumel, lower 

 floret with stamens only, upper one perfect, i.e. with 

 stamens and pistils. 



