27 
weather. But that had been foreseen, and the land being of 
little value for feeding purposes, because of the large quantity 
of salt contained in the soil, the owners allowed it to go on un- 
checked. In other parts of the kingdom, however, the losses of 
valuable land from similar causes had become so serious that 
enquire into the facts and to suggest remedies. t was then 
urged that much good might be done to lessen, and possibly to 
either the sand or mud and prevent erosion by the waves, and 
later on, b e ir g 
of the ground gradually out of the reach of all such scouring 
action. 
Spartina was among the grasses recommended to be planted 
as specially suitable where soft mud forms the only protection 
against erosion for the adjoining earth-banks; and as these are the 
conditions met with on the shores of the Severn in North Somer- 
set, the planting of this particular grass became of special interest 
to the landowners of the neighbourhood. 
Spartina Townsendi, the hybrid between S. stricta and 
alterniflora, which now covers thousands of acres of mud-flats in 
Southampton Water and Poole Harbour, is the one which has 
been planted in North Somerset. It is a vigorous stiff grass, 
reaching usually 2} ft. in height, with rigid leaves, long and 
pointed, standing off at an angle of about 60°. These rigid out- 
standing leaves are characteristic features, and easily distinguish 
it from the other two kinds. The stems and leaves are coloured 
a bright green when young, but turn in autumn to a brown hue 
with a beautiful golden sheen resembling ripe corn. On top of 
the solitary stem are the flowers in a stiff, branched spike grow- 
ing at one side only of each branchlet. The spreading of Spar- 
tina to new areas and distant parts is mainly due to the dispersal 
of seeds: but as soon as it has established itself in an area, the 
covering over of the area by the closing up of originally isolated 
patches proceeds much more by stolons than by the inter- 
polation of seedlings, chiefly because seeding is very irregular, 
