HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURN ENSIS. 277 



young leaves. It is the practice of thin sowing, and the 

 strong reproductive powers of the plant, that occasion it to 

 appear a hassocky grass. If one species only is therefore 

 thought preferable to several in the alternate husbandry, 

 there is scarcely a species to be preferred to the dactylis 

 glomerata. But with respect to an early and certain supply 

 of the most nutritious herbage throughout the season, it will 

 be found a vain labour to look for it in one species of grass, 

 but only where Nature has provided it, in a combination of 

 many. It will likewise be found, that the dactylis glomerata, 

 from its more numerous merits, should constitute three parts 

 of a mixture of grasses adapted for the purposes of the alter- 

 nate husbandry. The different species most proper to 

 combine with cock's-foot, are such as possess in a greater 

 degree the properties of which this grass is deficient. For 

 this purpose, none appear better fitted than the festuca 

 duriuscula, festuca pratensis, poa trivialis, holcus avenaceus, 

 phleum pratense, lolium perenne, and white clover, which 

 should be in a smaller proportion. A combination thus 

 formed of three parts cock's-foot, and one part of these 

 species just mentioned, will secure the most productive and 

 nutritive pasture in alternation with grain crops, on soils of 

 the best qualitity ; and even on soils of an inferior nature, 

 under the circumstances of unfavourable seasons, will afford 

 nutritive herbage, when otherwise the land would have been 

 comparatively devoid of it, if one species of grass only had 

 been employed. 



