160 HORTLiS GltAMlNEUS WOIJU R N F.NS 1 S. 



{avena JIavescens), crested dog's-tail {cynoaiirus cristattis), 

 woolly soft-grass (Jtolcus lanatns), wood meadow-grass {poa 

 nemoralis), meadow barley-grass (hordeum pratense), yellow 

 vetchling {lathj/rus pratensis), many-flowered brome-grass 

 (bromus multiflorus), and the lesser variety of the meadow 

 cat's-tail (p/deum pratense, var. minus), will afford a crop 

 ready for reaping in the second or third week of July. 

 The weight of nutritive matter afforded by this crop, exceeds 

 that of the preceding in the proportion nearly of 7 to 6 ; the 

 quantity contained in the produce of one acre being about 

 1,008 lbs. 



The first of these selections, though producing the ear- 

 liest crop, is, nevertheless, much less valuable than any 

 of the others ; for, with the addition of the after-grass that 

 would be produced in the extra length of time which the 

 others require to come to maturity, the produce would still 

 be very inferior. 



A grass which produces an abundance of early foliage, 

 and that does not put forth its flowering culms till the be- 

 ginning of June, can be fed off" till a late period of the spring- 

 without injury to the crop of hay ; which, with a grass that 

 pushes up its flowering culms early in the spring, cannot be 

 practised without doing considerable injury to the hay crop. 

 This property, therefore, of producing early foliage and 

 flowering late, must be more particularly valuable under cir- 

 cumstances where a breeding flock of sheep is kept. The 

 grasses which are more distinguished in this respect, are the 

 cock's-foot {dactylis glomerata), meadow cat's-tail {phleum 

 pratense), nerved meadow-grass (poa nervata), and the wood 

 meadow-grass (j^oa nemoralis). 



As the leaves of grasses are the most valuable part of the 

 plant for the purposes of grazing, a view of the quantity of 

 nutritive matter, afforded by the different species in the 

 spring, will assist in deciding on their comparative value. 



Abo'.it the beginning and middle of April, 1,920 grains of 

 the leaves of the following grasses and other plants afford of 

 nutritive matter — 



Meadow foxtail-grass {alopecunis pratensis) ... 96 grs. 

 Tall oat-hke soft-grass (Jiolcus avenaceus) 120 



