90 



are meliorated since the days of Triptolemus, when we see 

 that, by skilful attention, our fruits and culinary vegetables 

 are improved in our day ? 



To the grassy tribe, Man has not been so attentive. Grass 

 has very rarely been a pritria7'i/ object with him ; even when 

 he sows it, he generally prepares his ground for a crop of 

 grain, along with which he sows his grass-seed as a secondary 

 object, leaving the young tendril to be over-shadowed for a 

 summer by the more sturdy favourite. 



The regular continuation of grass by seed, I fancy, has never 

 been steadily practised. Hence no improvement of the 

 species, which, of course, remains as it came from the hand 

 . of Nature. 



A little attention to the natural history of the grassy tribe, 



. collectiveli/, will soon discover the cause why this branch of 



the agricultural department has been attended to with less 



care, and cultivated with less success than, perhaps, any other 



part of that useful science. 



The esculent grains are all annuals ; they require attention 

 and protection but for a short period, being of rapid growth 

 and soon able to contend to advantage with most of their 

 rivals ; while the few of the coarser sorts that remain are soon 

 wed out, and the ground left to the exclusive possession of 

 the grain that was sown. 



With grass the case is, in every respect, diU'erent: It is of 

 slow growth — long very diminutive — never coming to perfec- 

 tion (that is, ripening its seed) the first year — indistinguishable 



from 



