ly 
cropped close each of these little plants may flower; so that it will be at 
once seen how countless is the number of grass-plants in even one small 
paddock. As the value of the paddock for grazing depends on the kinds 
these little grass-plants are, it will be seen how desirable it is to set about 
improving the various kinds, for when we change a grass we do it as regards 
millions of plants. 
Just as florists’ flowers and vegetables have been vastly improved by selec- 
tion of seed and improved methods of cultivation on the part of the gardener, 
so as regards grasses (though not to the same extent perhaps, but who can 
tell?), we look forward to improvements of paddocks not cnly by substi- 
tuting good for inferior species, but we hope to be able to vastly increase the 
value (from the point of view of the farmer and pastoralist), of existing species. 
Many of us are apt to look upon grasses as the very embodimentof a stationary 
thing, as containing a fixed and definite quantity of nutriment for stock, 
incapable of improvement, an idea which, if persistently held, will be a bar 
to all improvement. 
= T desire to thank Messrs. Ernst Betche and William Forsyth for the 
patient care with which they have assisted me to revise the proofs. 
