HOKTTJS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 79 



iVom sheer neglect ; the vemedy of liard-stocking, and even 

 weeding, will be found inadequate to extirpate these un- 

 profitable plants. But to return to the details of the expe- 

 riment. 



The results of the last chemical examination of the soil 

 had shown, that it had lost a very considerable portion of its 

 decomposing vegetable and animal matters. To supply this 

 deficiency in some measure, manure was now, for the first 

 time, applied, and, with the wheat stubble, digged in to the 

 depth of six inches ; the surface was then made fine with a 

 rake, and sown with a mixture of the following grass seeds, 

 at the rate ofjive bushels to the acre. 



Festuca pratensis (meadow fescue), alopecurus pratensis 

 (meadow fox tail), dactylis glomerata (round cock's foot), 

 holcus aveiiaceus (tall oat-like soft grass), vicia sepium (creep- 

 ing vetch), lo/ium perentie (ray grass), phkum pratense (mea- 

 dow cat's tail), cynosurus cristatus (crested dog's tail), avena 

 Jlavescens (yellow oat), avena pratensis (meadow oat), festuca 

 duriuscula (hard fescue), poa trivialis (smooth-stalked mea- 

 dow grass), poa fertilis (fertile meadow grass), poa nervata 

 (nerved meadow grass), trifolium medmm (cow clover), tri- 

 folium repens (Dutch or white clover), agrostis stolonifera 

 (creeping-stemmed bent, or florin), and agrostis palustris 

 (marsh bent). 



The seeds of the six first mentioned grasses being larger 

 than the others were first mixed and sown, and covered 

 with a rake ; the rest of the seeds were mixed and sown, 

 and pressed in with a roller, making all smooth and firm. 

 This was finished on the 23d of August, 1813. 



The seeds of all vegetated before the first week of October, 

 except the seed of the vicia sepium, which did not vegetate 

 till the autumn of the succeeding year. Before the frost set 

 in, these seedling grasses had a top-dressing, with compost 

 of rotten dung, lime, and vegetable mould, laid on in a fine 

 and dry state, after which the surface was again rolled ; in 

 the month of February this was repeated, when the ground 

 was sufficiently dry for the purpose. The plants sprung 

 earlier than those of the old pasture (a circumstance common 

 to young plants in general). In April, the weeds which had 



