HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 137 



The proportional value which the grass, at the time of flowering, 

 bears to that of the latter-math, is as 5 to 3 ; and the grass, at the 

 time the seed is ripe, is to the latter-math as 7 to 3. 



64 dr. of the culms divested of leaves, at the time of flowering, 

 afford of nutritive matter, 1 dr. 2 qr. The leaves of cock's-foot, 

 therefore, and its straws simply, are of equal proportional value ; 

 however, between the periods of flowering and perfecting the seed, 

 the straws contain a much greater proportion of nutritive matter : 

 64 dr. of the culms at that stage of growth afforded 3 dr. 1 qr. of 

 nutritive matter. When cultivated on a peat soil, the produce 

 was one-sixth greater, but the grass was of an inferior quality; 

 64 dr. of which afforded only 69 grains of nutritive matter, which 

 proves the grass produced on a peat soil to be inferior to that 

 from a sandy loam, in the proportion of 7 to 9. The first leaves 

 or herbage of the spring, is more nutritive than that produced 

 at the end of autumn; 64 dr. at the beginning of April afforded 69 

 grains of nutritive matter, while the same quantity, in the month 

 of November, afforded only 39 grains. It is deserving of par- 

 ticular notice, that the herbage of this grass, when suffered to 

 grow rank or old, from want of sufficient stocking, contains nearly 

 one-half less nourishment than that which is of a recent growth ; 

 64 dr. of the leaves which had remained uncropped for four 

 months, afforded only 20 grains of nutritive matter ; while the 

 same quantity of the leaves, two, or at most, three weeks old, 

 afforded 36 grains of nutrient matter. In the former grass, many 

 of the leaves were withered and dry, and the rest rank and of a 

 dark green colour, while in the latter, they were all green and suc- 

 culent. All these facts point out this grass to be more valuable 

 for pasture than for hay : yet even for the latter purpose, it will be 

 found more valuable than rye-grass (Lolium perenne), and many 

 other grasses ; proofs of which will be offered hereafter, when these 

 grasses come under consideration. If the weight of nutritive 

 grass, which is gained by the superior produce of the after-math 

 which follows the crop when taken at the time of flowering, 

 be added to the flowering crop itself, the loss which is sustained 

 by leaving a crop of this grass till the seed is ripe will be appa- 

 rent, though the proportional value of the seed crop, weight for 

 weight, is greater than the flowering crop. The produce does not 

 increase if left standing after the time of flowering, but rather de- 

 creases, in the weight of root-leaves ; and by reason of the rapid 

 growth of the latter-math which succeeds an early cropping, the 



