30 Mr. Maton'j Ob/ervatlons on the Orcheflon long Grafs. 



been remarked by the neighbouring inhabitants. A bedoffmali 

 Icofe pebbles, which are all of a filiceous nature, with a fcanty co- 

 vering of mould formed from the decompofed relics of former vege- 

 table generations, conftitutes the immediate foil. 



My laft vifit to Orcheflon St. Mary was on the 15th of Auguft 

 laft. I at that time found the following grafles growing in the 

 meadow, viz. Holcus lanatus^ Lolium peren?ie, and Agrojlis Jiolonifera. 

 All thefe were pretty nearly of the fame length, meafuring about 

 feven feet. They ufually rife, I underftand, about 16 or 17 inches 

 before they fall and run along the ground in knots, which knots 

 fend forth (hoots into the interttices of the pebbles. Moft meadow 

 graffes fo circumftanced with rcfpeft to foil would probably become 

 knotted. In June, T'rittcum repens, Avena elatior^ Alopecurui pratenjls^ 

 and Poa trivialis (palujlris, of Hudfon), are feen thriving fimilarly to 

 thofe fpecies above mentioned. I have fpecimens of the laft, which 

 meafure nearly ten feet in length. Some of the fpikes of Tritkuin 

 repens have between forty and iihy glumes. Even Coiiium maculatum, 

 growing in the furrounding hedges, reaches the height of fcven or 

 eight feet. Bcfidcs gralTes, I have found in this remarkable mea- 

 dow Synphyium ojicinale. Convolvulus arvenjis. Pot enl ilia rehtans. Ra- 

 nunculus prjtenfn, and Oenanthe crocata, all unufually flrong and fuc- 

 culent, and flrilcingly tall. 



The crops of the Orchefion grafs within late years have not by 

 any means equalled what they have heretofore been. Perhaps the 

 gradual deepening of the mould may be the caufe of this, as it mufl: 

 deprive the ciop more and more of the advantage arifiug from the 

 difpoljition of the pebbles, which (if I might venture a conjecture) 

 foems to be a vevy important peculiarity in the fituation. It is cer- 

 tain that the fpace of only two acres and an half has yielded as much 

 ii-s ieu tons of hay in one year. The firft crop has ufually been cut 



about 



