162 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



Produce per Acre. 



dr. qr. lbs. 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 2 17 a^q 1 1 ,- 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 10 Oi3 



The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by leav- 

 ing the crop till the seed be ripe is - 47 13 11 

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

 exceeds that at the time the seed is ripe, is as 5 to 3. 

 The produce of latter-math is — 

 Grass, 6 oz. The produce per acre - - 4083 12 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 1 dr. 1 qr. 



per acre - - - - - 79 12 2 



The proportional value in which the grass, at the time of flower- 

 ing, exceeds that of the latter-math, is as 3 to 1 ; and the grass, 

 at the time tlie seed is ripe, is to that of the latter-math, as 

 9 to 5. 



This is one of those grasses which never thrives when cultivated 

 simply by itself; it requires to be combined with other grasses to 

 secure its continuance in the soil, and to obtain its produce in 

 perfection. It thrives best when combined with the Hordeum 

 pralense (meadow barley), Cynosurus cristatus (crested dog's-tail), 

 and Authoxanthum odoratum (sweet-scented vernal-grass). It 

 affects most a calcareous soil, and that which is dry. It grows 

 naturally, however, in almost every kind of soil, from the lime- 

 stone rock to the irrigated meadow : it is always present in the 

 richest natural pastures. "From the above details, its produce is 

 not very great, nor its nutritive qualities considerable. The nu- 

 tritive matter it aftords from its leaves (the properties of which 

 are of more importance to be known than those of the culms, for 

 a permanent pasture grass), contains proportionally more bitter 

 extractive than what is contained in the nutritive matters of the 

 grasses with which it is more generally combined in natural pas- 

 tures, and which have just now been mentioned. This latter cir- 

 cumstance is the chief claim it has to a place in the composition 

 of the produce of rich pasture land; but more particularly, if the 

 land be elevated and without good shelter, this grass becomes 

 more valuable, as it thrives better. under such circumstances than 

 most other grasses, and sheep eat it as readily as they do most 

 others. The seed is very small and light ; but it vegetates freely 

 if sown in the autumn, or not too early in the spring. I have 

 sown the seeds of this grass in almost every month of the year, 



