130 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBL R N E N SI S. 



on chalky soils, it is evident, fiom the above details, that it 

 is but little adapted for the best pasture land. It flowers 

 rather early, but the foliage is comparatively late in growth. 



Pheasants appear very fond of the seed ; they frequently 

 pick off the spikelets before the seed is perfected. The seed 

 is afforded in very small quantity. 



Flowers in the second and third weeks of June, and the 

 seed is ripe in the second and third weeks of July. 



BKIZ A media. Common Quaking-grass. Ladies' Tresses. 



Specific character: Spikelets ovate, about seven-flowered ; 

 calyx shorter than the florets ; stipula very short and 

 blunt. P/g. 1. S pikelet magnified. 2. Corolla. 3. Seed, 

 coated with the outer valve of the corolla. 4. Germen, 

 nectary, stamens, styles, and stigmas. 



Obs. — Stems from half a foot to a foot and a half high, 

 according to the nature of the soil it grows on. In moist 

 soils it attains to the greatest size. Dr. Withering re- 

 marks, that if a seed be carefully dissected with a fine 

 lancet, the young plant will be found with its leaves 

 and roots perfectly formed. Professor Martyn observes, 

 that it is easily distinguished as a species of briza by 

 the shaking disposition of its panicle ; whence its name 

 amongst ancient authors, " gramen tremidum." The 

 French call these quaking-grasses "amourettes.'' Na- 

 tive of Britain. Root fibrous. Perennial. 



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

 a brown loam is 9,528 lbs. per acre. 



The latter-math produce is 8,167 lbs. per acre. 



It appears that the weight of nutritive matter, which is lost by 

 taking the crop at the time of flowering, exceeds one-seventh 

 part of its value ; and the nutritive matter contained in the 

 grass of the seed crop exceeds that in the flowering grass, 

 in the proportion of 13 to 1 1 , and that of the latter-math as 

 13 to 8. 



The results of the experiments on the three different soils 

 now mentioned show this grass to be best fitted for poor soils, 

 and afford one instance, that manure is even hurtful to some 



