JOINTED LYME-GRASS. 435 



all times, and particularly when high winds prevail, that it is 

 impossible to produce a permanent effect by merely scattering 

 seeds in the place. The most approved method is to deposit 

 turf at regular short intervals over the surface, and afterwards 

 to sow the seeds of Elymus arenarius and of AmmopJiila 

 arundinacea in the interstices, by mixing them with clay at- 

 tached to small pieces of straw ropes, and dibbling these into 

 the sand; for which purpose 15 Ib. to 20 Ib. per acre will be 

 sufficient. 



To prevent the encroachments of shifting sands, the plan 

 which succeeds best is to sow the seeds of the above-mentioned 

 grasses over a breadth of 20 to 50 yards, and even, in some 

 situations, over as much as 100 yards or more, immediately in 

 advance of such sands, the breadth, as well as the quantity of 

 seeds per acre, to depend on the obstacles to be overcome ; but 

 from 20 Ib. to 30 Ib. of these will generally suffice.* A bushel 

 of the seeds of the Elymus arenarius averages 10 Ib., and the 

 number of seeds in an ounce is about 2320. 



To the same genus, Elymus, is referred the jointed sand 

 lyme-grass, under the name Elymus geniculatus. It resembles 

 the Elymus arenarius in character and habit, except that its 

 roots are less spreading. It is more prolific of seeds, which 

 are large and oat-like, so as to afford agreeable food to wild- 

 fowl. It is sowed in dry and gravelly inland warrens and 

 game preserves. It flowers in the second week of July, and 

 ripens its seed in the end of the first week of August. It is 

 very rarely met with wild in Britain. A bushel of the seeds 

 averages 12 Ib., and the number of the seeds in an ounce is 

 near 2300. 



Festuca. To the genus Festuca several species of fescue- 

 grass are referred. 



The Festuca duriuscula, known as hard fescue-grass, is a 

 * See Lawson ' On the Cultivated Grasses.' 



