HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 237 



in the most clear and satisfactory manner the truth of the conclu- 

 sions which had, d priori, been drawn from the results of the ex- 

 periments made individually on the grasses which compose the 

 produce of these celebrated pastures, and equally as regarded the 

 produce and nutritive powers of the different species. 



The chief properties which give value to a grass are, nutritive 

 powers, produce, early growth, reproductive powers, or the pro- 

 perty of growing rapidly after being cropped, and the facilities it 

 offers for its propagation by seed. 



If one species of grass could be discovered that possessed all 

 these properties in a superior degree to every other, the knowledge 

 distinguishing the different species of grass with certainty, that of 

 the soils and sub-soil best adapted to their growth, and their 

 natural habits, comparative value, and merits of the different 

 plants, would then be more for curiosity than utility. But the 

 results of these experiments have proved that a combination of all 

 the merits and properties which give value to a grass, is not to 

 be found in a superior degree in any single grass. Indeed, if such 

 was the case, it would seem singular that Nature, for the same 

 purpose, finds it necessary to employ so many. 



If a selection of grasses were made with a view to early flowering 

 only (presuming that this property constituted the chief value of 

 a grass), it will be found, that a combination of equal proportions 

 of sweet vernal-grass {Anthoxanthum odoratum), sweet soft-grass 

 {Holcus odoratus), soft brome-grass {Bromus mollis), annual meadow- 

 grass (Poa annua), and meadow foxtail-grass {Alopecurus pra- 

 tensis), will produce a crop ripe to mow in the second week of May, 

 on a soil of the best quality, these grasses being then in flower ; but 

 the produce will be found very inferior — the nutritive matter from 

 the whole crop being only 3671bs. 



A combination of the smooth-stalked meadow-grass {Poa pra- 

 tensis), rough-stalked meadow-grass {Poa trivialis), hard fescue 

 {Festuca duriuscula), common quaking-grass {Briza media), dar- 

 nel-like fescue-grass {Festuca loliacea), long-awned slieep's-fescue 

 {Festuca ovina hordeiformis), and the Welsh fescue {Festuca Cam- 

 hrica), will afford a crop ready for mowing in the first week of June. 

 The value of a crop, consisting of equal parts of these grasses, is 

 superior to the preceding, in the proportion nearly of 4 to 3 ; the 

 nutritive matter afforded by the whole crop being 4861bs. 



A combination of equal parts of the cock's-foot grass {Dactylis 

 glomerata), meadow-fescue {Festuca pratensis), tall oat-like soft- 



