268 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



HORDEUM murinum. Wall Barley-grass, Way-bennet. Mouse 

 Barley. 



Specific character: Lateral florets barren; calyx valves of the 

 intermediate one lanceolate, fringed. Sm. Engl. Fl. i. p. 179; 

 Curtis, 325; E. Bot. 1971 ; Host. t. 53; Wither. 171 ; Rye- 

 grass, &,c. Hort. Gram. Fol. 141. 

 Ohs. — Root fibrous, annual, supporting a number of culms ; 

 culm from half a foot to a foot and a half high, procumbent 

 at the base, afterwards erect; spike-stalk brittle, flexuose, 

 compressed, rough on the margin ; flowers placed in two rows, 

 imbricated, roundish, intermediate flower nearly sitting, 

 bisexual ; lateral florets unisexual, or neuter. Flo. Ger. 404. 

 German, Mauer-Gerste. 



Experiments. — At the time of flowering, the produce from a 

 clayey loam is — 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. lbs. 



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



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry - 28 ^ 4987 15 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 100 3} 3 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 7963 5 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 3 0^^^ 1 ^„a . „ 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 13 2 3 

 At the time the seed is ripe, the produce is — 

 Grass, 12 oz. The produce per acre - - 8167 8 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry - 28 7 90^0 in a 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 67 Of 3 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 5308 14 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 2 7 cyrr o 19 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 6 3 



The produce of this annual, at the time the seed is ripe, contains 

 more nutritive matter than at the time of flowering : this is a con- 

 trary result to all others of the annual grasses; but it is, I believe, 

 chiefly owing to a part of the seed having been left on the spikes, 

 while in all other instances it was separated from the grass pre- 

 vious to its being submitted to experiment. 



The above details prove this to be one of the most inferior 

 grasses with respect to nutritive powers. The long awns with 

 which it is armed must make it dangerous to the mouths of horses 

 when it enters into the composition of their hay. Fortunately, it 



