254 MANAGEMENT OF [rHAP. ix. 



richness to the general colour of the turf, and 

 because it sustains no injury from dry weather. 

 The crested dog's-tail grass (Cynosurus cris- 

 tatus) is, however, the best for sustaining 

 drought and heat, as its roots penetrate so 

 deeply into the ground as to keep its blades 

 green while all the grasses around it are quite 

 brown, from being burnt up. The hard fescue 

 grass (Festuca duriuscula) is another kind 

 which will stand the effects of dry weather ; it 

 is also a very fine dwarf grass, and springs 

 early. Many other grasses might be named, 

 but these will suffice. The proportion in which 

 they ought to be mixed is another and an 

 essential point ; but, at the same time, it is one 

 rather difficult to ascertain, as the seeds of the 

 finer kinds of grasses are very often imperfect, 

 and do not germinate ; and thus a larger quan- 

 tity must be sown of these, than of kinds all 

 the seeds of which are generally good. The 

 seed of the meadow fox-tail grass (Alopecurus 

 pratensis) is very often so bad that not above 

 one seed in three will germinate; consequently, 

 a much larger proportion of seed of this grass 

 must be sown than of any of the other kinds. 

 This seed is very light, and consequently a 

 pound of it, if bought by weight, will appear a 

 great deal more than a pound of the crested 

 dog's-tail grass (Cynosurus cristatus), the seed 

 of which is very heavy : and yet, as the latter 

 seed is generally all good, it will cover more 

 ground with grass than the other. The 

 best place to procure grass seeds in the 

 neighbourhood of London is at Cormack's 

 Nursery, New Cross : but, generally, it will be 



