HORTDS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 109 



On comparing the quantity of nutritive matter afforded 

 by the produce of one acre of this grass at the time of 

 flowering, with that afforded under the like circumstances 

 by the bromus arvensis, it manifests a superiority of 266 lbs. 

 per acre. This, and also the superior nutritive qualities of 

 the grass, appear to arise from the greater proportion of 

 culms in the produce of the many- flowered brome-grass; for 

 though the culms of the bromus arvensis grow to a much 

 larger size, they are much less numerous than in the produce 

 of the bromus mullijiorus. The leaves of the bromus mul- 

 tijloi'us are small in comparison to those of the bromus arven- 

 sis, and the spring produce of foliage is proportionally less ; 

 so much so as 2 to 1. If there were any doubt of rejecting 

 the field brome-grass as unfit for cultivation, there can be 

 none for the many-flowered brome-grass, because it is infe- 

 rior in almost every respect. It is natural to soils of a less 

 rich nature than those which produce the superior pasture 

 grasses, and the bromus arvensis. It flowers about the se- 

 cond week of July, and the seed is generally ripe in three 

 weeks afterwards. 



BROMUS mollis. Soft Brome-grass. 



Specific character : Panicle erect ; spikelets oval and ob- 

 long, a little compressed, covered with down ; flowers 

 imbricated ; outer husk of the blossom divided at top ; 

 awn straight, about the length of the husk ; leaves soft 

 and downy. — Fig. 1. Calyx. 2. Floret. 3. Nectary. 

 4. Germen, or rudiment of the future seed. 

 Obs. — The panicle branches are simple, seldom supporting 

 more than one spikelet. In the bromus arvensis and 

 bromus multiflorus the panicle branches are branched, 

 and some of them simple. The oval oblong figure of 

 the spikelets, and the downy hairs which cover them, 

 are characters which readily distinguish this species 

 from the others. 

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

 a sandy loam is 10,890 lbs. per acre. 



