434 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



of this grass. It is less impoverishing to the soil than the rye- 

 grass. A combination of three parts cock's-foot, and one part 

 composed of Festuca duriuscula, Bucetum pratense, Poa trim- 

 alls, Phleum pratense, and Lolium perenne, will secure the 

 most productive and nutritive pasture in alternation with 

 grain crops.* 



A strong growing variety has lately been brought into 

 notice under the name of giant cock's-foot. 



The cock's-foot is one of the plants recommended to be sown 

 for permanent pasture, in the proportion of from 3 Ib. to 5 Ib. 

 of the seeds per imperial acre ; for permanent lawn-pastures, 

 in the proportion of from 1 J Ib. to 2 Ib. ; for permanent 

 pasture and hay in orchards and other grounds much over- 

 shadowed with trees, in the proportion of from 5 Ib. to 7 Ib. 

 of the seeds ; for pasturage and cover in thick shady woods, in 

 the proportion of from 4 Ib. to 6 Ib. in the same measure 

 of ground. A bushel of the seeds averages 11| Ib., while the 

 number of seeds in an ounce amounts to 40,000. 



Elymus. To the genus Elymus is referred the sea-sand 

 lyme-grass, under the name Elymus arenarius. It is a creep- 

 ing-rooted perennial. It grows from two to five feet high. It 

 flowers in the second week of July, and ripens its seed about 

 the end of August. It grows among shifting sea-sand, for 

 fixing which, along with the sand-reed (Ammophila arundin- 

 acea), its numerous strong spreading roots and coarse elastic 

 foliage render it most suitable. According to Mr Sinclair, it 

 may be regarded as the sugar-cane of Britain, owing to the 

 large amount of saccharine matter which it contains. The hay 

 made from it must be very nutritious. It is particularly use- 

 ful when cut into short pieces to be mixed with corn or com- 

 mon hay. 



Many sands on the sea-shore are so liable to be shifted at 



* Sinclair ; see Parnell's ' Grasses of Scotland,' p. 68. 



