110 IIORTUS (iKAMINRUS WOBURNENSIS. 



On all poor exhausted soils that have been injiidiciously 

 laid down to grass, this species is more common than on any 

 other land. It very much resembles the two last-mentioned 

 species of bromus in appearance and habits, but flowers 

 several weeks earlier, and the seed is generally ripe before 

 hay harvest commences. This circumstance, which is an 

 unfortunate one to the farmer, is favourable to the soft brome 

 grass, as it secures its existence for another season. From 

 the above details, it appears to be greatly inferior to the 

 field brome grass, and many-flowered brome. It produces 

 but little foliage in the spring ; and the flowering culms are 

 soon formed, and become nodding at top, or bent downw^ards 

 with the weight of the seed, which is large, and much re- 

 lished by birds. When once this grass introduces itself into 

 a field, it is a very difficult task to overcome it ; for, though 

 an annual, or one-year-lived plant, like the other two bromes, 

 and though cut when in flower, it will, nevertheless, con- 

 tinue to send up fresh culms from the root till a late period 

 of the season ; and these late or secondary culms being of a 

 very low stature, are seldom perceived, but on a close inspec- 

 tion of the herbage. Thus it happens, that after sacrificing 

 the crop of hay (which, however, is never great if this grass 

 prevails), by mowing the field when this grass is in flower, 

 and before the other pasture grasses have attained to any 

 degree of maturity, the soft brome-grass next season makes 

 its appearance in abundance, as before. One remedy is, 

 therefore, to mow repeatedly, as the flowering culms make 

 their appearance, till the roots of the annual grass are ex- 

 hausted, and then to apply sufficient top-dressings to compen- 

 sate the soil for the want of the grazing manure. But pre- 

 vention is most to be recommended ; and that is effected by 

 judicious cropping, and never suffering the land to become 

 too poor or exhausted : when this is faithfully performed, 

 the soft brome will but seldom appear, or will soon be over- 

 come by its more powerful neighbours. This grass, how- 

 ever, sometimes makes its appearance on a sudden in lands 

 that were before strangers to it, which is caused by its seed 

 being mixed with that of the grain or grass-seed used in 



