182 HORTUS GKAMINEUS V\ OH II RN EN SIS. 



nature, and property of forming a thick turf, as well as being 

 nutritive, prevent it from being rejected altogether as of no 

 value. 



Flowers in the second week of June, and the seed is ripe 

 about the first week of July. 



FESTUCA myurus. Wall-fescue, Capon 's-tail Grass. 



Specific charade?' : Panicle drooping, elongated, rather 



close ; florets tapering, shorter than their awns, rough 



at the top ; leaves awl-shaped ; stem leafy to the very 



summit. 

 Obs. — Root annual. The flowers have only one stamen, 



which distinguishes it from all other species of fe:?cuc. 



It has great affinity to the Jestuca bromoides. The 



inner valve of the blossom is fringed towards the toj) ; 



the awns are longer than those of the Jestuca bromoides. 



Native of Britain. 

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



a siliceous sandy soil is 9,528 lbs. per acre. 

 The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 



IS 6,670 lbs. 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 1 dr. 2 qr. 



This grass is found on. walls and dry barren places. As 



soon as the seeds are ripe they fall out of the husks, and 



vegetate quickly after without any covering of earth ; the 



plants are of the finest green colour, which they retain 



during the winter. This circumstance seems to have led 



some to suppose it a biennial or two-year-lived plant. The 



seeds being numerous, the young plants form a turf of the 



most beautiful dark green colour ; in this respect surpassing 



every other grass. As soon as the weather is sufficiently 



warm in the spring for the growth of grasses in general, 



this property declines, and before the period of coming into 



flower, it is invariably attacked with the rust disease : which 



enders its produce of little value, were it even afforded in 



sufficient quantity to induce its propagation. 



In attempts to eradicate these unprofitable annual grasses 



