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also at Moorside Hall, Arlecdon—in black-topped soil of mossy 
character. ‘The best of the Alpine grasses,” in Mr. Sinclair’s 
estimation. It is said to be particularly agreeable to sheep. Its 
roots have a powerful hold on the soil. 
Agrostis spica-venti. Silky Bent-grass. 
A very elegant grass, of rare occurrence in Cumberland. I have 
only seen it on the Silloth ballast-bank, though it grows plentifully 
in sandy ground in the south of England. 
Agrostis canina. Brown Bent-grass. 
The Agrostis family are in general backward in flowering ; and 
in moist pastures, especially towards the mountains, constitute the 
bulk of the gramineous herbage in Autumn. ‘The present species 
does not bear a very high character for its nutritious properties. 
Its flower-spikes are very pretty objects, especially when the spikelets 
are covered with the purple anthers. 
Agrostis alba. Marsh Bent-grass. 
Common enough in some parts of the county ; though far less 
generally distributed than either A. canina or A. vulgaris. It is of 
frequent occurrence about Aspatria ; and yet I have never observed 
it in my present neighbourhood. A late and somewhat unpro- 
ductive grass, the roots of which are alleged greatly to exhaust the 
soil. 
Agrostis vulgaris. Common Bent-grass. 
This is one of the most common grasses in natural sandy pastures. 
It flowers earlier than any of its congeners, but is inferior to several 
of them in weight of produce, as also in nutritive quality. A dwarf 
variety of this species, known as Agrostis pumila, has been noticed 
growing about the Roman Camp on Caer-mote; also on Matter- 
dale Common, near Mosedale Beck. 
Psamma arenaria. Sea-bent. 
All sea-side folk know this plant, which is everywhere abundant 
along the shore. It is of trifling value as cattle food. Its great 
utility is in binding the sands of the sea-shore, to protect the banks 
