156' HOUTIS GUA\ilNEUS VV OB 11 R N EN SI S. 



are broad and but little cloven, while those of the two 

 former species are narrow, long, and deeply cloven ; seg- 

 ments bent outwards. 

 The superior productiveness of this grass throughout the 

 season, furnishing very early and late herbage, equal to the 

 very best species, are properties which recommend it very 

 highly for permanent pasture, in company with other kinds 

 peculiarly adapted for the purpose. The roots, although 

 only slightly creeping, yet seem to forbid any recommenda- 

 tion of the plant for the alternate husbandry ; for permanent 

 pasture, however, this habit is here of advantage, as securing 

 the extension and continuance of the plant without the seri- 

 ous objection of impoverishing the soil by the unprofitable 

 production underground of vegetable matter, which occurs 

 in the growth of the powerful creeping roots o( poa pratensis, 

 agropi/riim repens, ho/cus mollis, &)X. Should the seed of this 

 species prove obnoxious to the same diseases as the seed of 

 the alopecurus pratensis (which I suspect will prove to be 

 the case), this slight creeping habit of the roots will add to 

 the comparative value of this new species, as allowing of its 

 cultivation with more certainty of success and smaller cost, 

 than the general defects of seed in the alopecurus pratensis 

 permit in its cultivation. 



It comes into flower in April or early in May, and con- 

 tinues to emit flowering culms until September and October. 



The superiority of ancient natural pastures over those 

 formed artificially with ray-grass and clover, was before 

 alluded to. It will be found principally to arise from the 

 variety of difl:erent habits and properties which exist in a 

 numerous combination of different species of grass. From 

 the beginning of spring, till winter, there is not a month that 

 is not the peculiar season in which one or more grasses at- 

 tain to the greatest degree of perfection. Some grasses there 

 are that withstand the injurious effects of long-continued 

 dry weather better than others, and vice versa. Hence the 

 comparatively never-failing supply of nutritive herbage ob- 

 tained from natuial pastures, Avhich it is vain to look for in 

 those artificially formed with one or two grasses only. 



