112 



of wiiuUe straws. I attempted to force this grass, by manure, 

 into something better, but the result was, that I made its 

 stalk absolutely ligneous. 



XV. Antiioxanthum odoeatum» 



Sweet scented meadozv grass — supposed to be that which 

 gives fragrance to our newly cut hay ; no doubt it has a very 

 sweet smell, but neither this quality, nor its earliness, for its 

 panicle appears ten or twelve days before any other of our 

 indigenous grasses, compensate for the miserable thinness 

 of its crop, the want of luxuriance in its blade, and its total 

 deficiency in after-grass. 



POA ANNUA, 



A most obtrusive little reptile, rapidly attaining its dwarfish, 

 maturity, and soon throwing out its stunted panicles ; these 

 it seems to produce every month in the year, except January. 



This grass is so low and flat, that cattle can reach nothing 

 but these panicles ; yet as the Poa annua omits stolones, it 

 soon occupies much of a raw surface ; but it seems unable 

 in a thick sole, to contend with the stronger grasses. With 

 astonishment I have seen a premium ofi'ered for saving the 

 seed of this grass. 



I have now gone over the list of all the grasses, which, 

 from my researches and experiments, I judge to deserve the 



attention 



