HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 191 



black bent. I have always found it prevalent in poor soils, 

 particularly such as had been exhausted by avaricious crop- 

 ping. It is most difficult to extirpate it when once in posses- 

 sion of the soil, for it sends forth flowering culms during the 

 whole summer and autumn, till frost arrests it ; so that it 

 can bear to be repeatedly cut down in one season, without 

 suffering essentially from the process. Indeed, it will be 

 found a vain and unprofitable labour to attempt the removal 

 of this grass, by any other means than the opposite of that 

 which gave it possession of the soil, that is, judicious cropping. 

 To return land, in this state, to grass, in the hope of 

 overcoming this unprofitable plant, will be found of little 

 avail. I have witnessed this practice ; and the slender fox- 

 tail, instead of disappearing in these instances, re-appeared 

 with the scanty herbage, and in greater health and abun- 

 dance. The soil must first be got into good heart by very 

 moderate and judicious cropping, which includes the proper 

 application of manure, a skilful rotation of crops, and the 

 most pointed attention to the destruction of weeds ; which 

 last can only be effected, in this sense, by adopting the 

 drill or row culture for the crops. After this, the land may 

 be returned to grass for several years with every prospect of 

 success. 



It flowers in the first week of July, and successively till 

 October. 



The appearance of the black-bent among wheat, is a cer- 

 tain sign that the crop will be worthless. On wet clayey 

 gravels, if wheat be sown late in the autumn, this bent will 

 certainly rise with the crop ; but if the soil works kindly and 

 rather dry, the wheat will prosper, and no bents will be 

 seen ; showing, that it is the bad condition of the tilth 

 which favours the germination of the latter, and discourages 

 the former. It is a remarkable fact, however, that there are 

 some poor clayey soils, which if sown in a rather dry state, 

 will cause the vegetation of every seed of the black bent, while 

 the wheat will be stunted and hardly worth reaping. — Ed. 



AVENA pubescens. Downy Oat-grass. 



Specific character: Panicle spreading equally on every 



