93 



times til ey could each bear to })e mowed, conceived I could 

 estimate tlicir powers of regeneration upon which their vaiuc, 

 for the purpose of grazing, must greatly depend. 



Nor did I confine my inquiries and experiments to the 

 grasses I discovered myself; but when I read or heard of a 

 grass supposed to be valuable, I exerted myself to procure 

 some of its seed, foilned plots of it, and subjected it to the 

 same experiments ; as also any other grasses which I found 

 growing spontaneously in meadows or sequestered places in- 

 accessible to cattle, and which, though not so obtrusive as 

 the first description, yet seemed to hold out soriie reasonable 

 prospect of value. 



The result of my observations for four or five years, I shall 

 now lay before the Royal Irish Academy; hoping the 

 importance of the subject will compensate for its apparent 

 want of dignit}', and that an epitome of every thing I have 

 discovered, or have been able to collect in the grass depart- 

 ment, that can be of use to the practical farmer, Avill be 

 received with indulgence. 



I shall commence by enumerating the grasses I find occu- 

 pying my collectaneous plots, into which I had transplanted ' 

 them before 1 knew their species : 



Of these, the Dactylis glomerata was the most vigorous, and 

 Avould have been more numerous had I not learned to dis- 

 tinguish them in an early stage by their crimped leaf. 



The Holcus lunatus comes next, and was always luxuriant; 

 then the Lollium perenne, very numerous ; the Poa trivialis, 



eaually 



