HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 185 



Produce per Acre, 

 lbs. 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 5717 4 

 G4 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 5 1^' . 



The produce of the space, ditto - 18 1| 5 



The produce of latter-math is — 

 Grass, 18 oz. The produce per acre - 12251 4 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 1 - 191 6 13 

 The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by leaving 

 the crop till the seed be ripe, exceeding one-third 

 part of its value, is - - - - 649 4 



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

 seed is ripe, exceeds that at the time of flowering, is as 21 to 20. 



In the early growth of the leaves of this species of Poa, there is 

 a striking proof that the property of coming early into flower is 

 not always connected with the early growth and produce of herb- 

 age in the spring. In this respect, most of the grasses that have 

 come under examination are inferior to this now spoken of. 

 Before the middle of April the leaves attain to more than twelve 

 inches in length, and are tender and succulent. In the month of 

 May, likewise, when the flowering culms make their appearance, 

 it is not subject to the disease that affects the foregoing species j 

 the bad effects of which were manifested in the great deficiency 

 of produce in the crop at the time the seed was ripe, being one- 

 half less than at the time the grass is in flower. Though the 

 disease begins in the straws of the nemoralis, the leaves suffer most 

 from its effects, being, at the time the seed is ripe, completely dried 

 up. The culms therefore constitute the principal part of the crop at 

 the time the seed is ripe, and they contain rhore nutritive matter in 

 proportion than the leaves. When the grass of the nemoralis is cut 

 before the time of flowering, the disease makes but small progress, 

 or does not make its appearance if the grass is kept closely cropped. 

 The Poa nemoralis has also the property of sending up flowering- 

 straws till a late period of the season, and when cut only thrice in 

 the season, the latter-math is considerable. 



The property of early growth in the spring, which this grass, 

 Poa angustifolia, possesses in an eminent degree, recommends it 

 for the purpose of permanent pasture. It sends up flowering 

 culms successively for several Weeks. In this it differs from the 

 Poa pralensis, which produces culms only once in the season. 



