14 yVDVERTISEMENT TO 



likewise consists of three parts, tlie germen, the style, 

 and the stigma. The germen is situated at the 

 bottom of the flower, and is the rudiment of the future 

 seed. The style consists of two-feather like processes, 

 seated on the top of the germen, and reflexed ; the 

 stigma is the feathered division of the style. 



The seeds of most grasses are covered or enclosed 

 by the husks, which was formerly the corolla; in 

 some of them the seed is naked, or so loosely 

 covered by the husks, that the latter separate from 

 the grain in cleaning. 



The general character of the grasses is summed 

 up in the following words. The stem or straw is 

 hollow and jointed; the leaves are long, slender, and 

 entire, sheathing the straw or stem for some length, 

 and in number, equal to the joints of the straw; the 

 flower consists of one or two membranaceous husks, 

 which bears but one seed, and the seed when rising 

 from the soil appears with only one lobe, or seed- 

 leaf. Every plant, therefore, possessing these pecu- 

 liarities of structure, is a proper species of grass; 

 hence the proper grasses are called a natural order of 

 plants. 



On the subject of soils, the author has the fol- 

 lowing remarks. As every difl'erent soil produces 

 grasses peculiar to itself, and as no other kinds can 

 be established or cultivated upon it, without first 

 changing its nature, to resemble that which produces 

 the kinds of grasses we wish to introduce; it be- 

 comes an important point, in making experiments on 

 difl'erent species, and in stating the results, to deter- 

 mine with sufficient accuracy the nature of the soil 



