NATURAL HISTORY. 



101 



In the south of France, where it jBourishes best, it is considered 

 an indispensable forage plant, improving the quality and in- 

 creasing the quantity of milk when fed to milch cows, to which 

 it may be given without producing the " hoove," to which they 

 are subjected when allowed to feed freely on green clover and 

 lucerne. Its stalks do not become ligneous if allowed to stand 

 till blossoming, as those of lucerne do. The amount of fodder 

 obtained from it is less than that from clover or lucerne, but its 

 quality, where it can be successfully grown, is better. Its fruit 

 or seed is said to be far more nutritious than oats. They are 

 eagerly sought by fowls, and cause them to lay. 



Sainfoin, when green and young, will not endure a severe 

 winter, but after the second or third year will endure a con- 

 siderable degree of cold. It will succeed in very dry soils, 

 sands and gravels. It is grown with great success in some of 

 the southern counties of England. Its seeds have been gen- 

 erally distributed over the country through the agency of the 

 Patent Office, but, so far as I know, they have been followed by 

 no marked success in the way of crops in New England. 



The -arrow grasses form a limited family consisting of only 

 three species found in New England. They are arranged in 

 the following table : — 



Table II. List of Arrow Grasses. (Juncaginece.) 



The second of these, the sea arrow grass, is common in our 

 salt marshes, having rush-like leaves of a sweetish taste, relished 

 by cattle, and forming a very good fodder when well cured. 



Many of the rushes or grass-like plants so common along the 

 borders of our ponds, and called grasses in popular language, 

 are readily eaten in the spring while green and full of juice. 

 They arc arranged in the following table : — 



