HORTUS GKAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 275 



of early foliage. After the time of flowering, however, it 

 produces comparatively nothing during the rest of the sea- 

 son ; and unless the culms are mown previous to ripening 

 the seed, the ground is much impoverished by it. The new 

 varieties, however, of this species of grass, which have been 

 discovered of late years, remove in a considerable degree 

 the serious objections which applied to the common ray- 

 grass. These new varieties have been already mentioned. 

 For the alternate husbandry, ray-grass should be combined 

 with other species of the natural grasses and with clovers. 



Hard fescue {festuca duriuscula) early attains to maturity; 

 the culms are succulent and nutritious ; it grows quickly 

 after being cropped, and springs pretty early ; but it is very 

 deficient in the weight of produce. 



Meadow fescue {festuca pratensis) is very productive and 

 nutrient, but does not spring sufficiently early, and seldom 

 attains to perfect maturity in two years. In some soils this 

 grass attains to a maturity of produce in as short a time as 

 ray-grass. 



Tall oat-like soft-grass (Jiolcus avenaceus) attains to matu- 

 rity from seed in a very short space of time. It is very early 

 and productive in the spring, and during the whole season 

 grows rapidly after cropping, and the culms are succulent. 

 The produce, however, is very deficient in nutritive matter, 

 which contains an excess of the bitter extractive and saline 

 principles. 



Yellow oat-grass {avena Jlavescens) arrives soon at perfec- 

 tion; the produce is tolerably nutritive, but deficient in 

 quantity. 



Rough-stalked meadow-grass ( poa trivialis) early attains 

 to maturity ; the produce is highly nutrient, but likewise 

 deficient in weig-ht. 



Smooth-stalked meadow-grass {poa pratensis) is early, and 

 rather nutritive, but comparatively unproductive. The creep- 

 ing roots unfit it for introduction on arable lands. 



Crested dog's-tail {cynosurus cristatiis) is backward in 

 arriving at maturity. The produce is very nutritive, but 

 wanting in weight. 



Fertile meadow-grass {poafertilis) soon attains to matu- 



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