68 PLAIN AND PLEASANT TALK 



their support from the air. Indeed, this is the lessoii 

 which Nature teaches us, for a dozen kinds of grass may 

 oftentimes be found growing wild on a single square foot. 



The English farmer sows from four to seven or eight 

 kinds of grass-seed, and sometimes as high as twelve or 

 fourteen, each one of which is destined to answer some 

 special end, and the whole taken together constitute as it 

 were, a perfect grass. 



We subjoin the quantity and kind of seed per acre re 

 commended by English authorities, that our readers may 

 have an idea of the English method, and derive such benefit 

 from it as their circumstances will admit of: 



Smooth-stalked poa, 8 quarts. 



Rough-stalked poa, 8 &quot; 



Meadow fescue, 12 &quot; 



Meadow fox-tail, 8 &quot; 



Crested dog s-tail, 6 &quot; 



Rib-grass,. 4 &quot; 



Timothy-grass, 4 &quot; 



Yellow oat-grass, 4 &quot; 



Perennial rye-grass, 12 &quot; 



Cock s foot, 4 &quot; 



Yarrow, 4 &quot; 



Sweet-scented vernal, 2 &quot; 



White clover, 6 Ibs. 



Cow-grass, 4 &quot; 



and annual meadow-grass. 



These seeds may, for the most part, be had of eastern 

 dealers, though not probably in the West. 



With blue grass we should join orchard grass, say a 

 bushel to the acre white clover five pounds, red clover 

 ten pounds, and sweet-scented vernal (anthoxanthum odo- 

 ratum) say three pounds. 



This last grass is remarkably early in the spring 1 , and 

 peculiarly fragrant ; indeed, it is supposed that the famous 

 spring butter of Philadelphia derives its peculiar flavor from 

 this grass, and we should include it in every mixture to be 



