318 Cultivation of Arabk Land. Swtet*fanted VernalGrafs. 



of trials that have been yet made, being very inadequate for affording the means 

 of fully deciding upon their properties, advantages, and ufcs, in many cafes, as well 

 as from their habits, and the foils to which they are the belt fuited, being often very 

 imperfectly known ; and alfo from the great trouble and inconvenience of obtain 

 ing their feeds genuine, and in a proper ftate for the purpofes of healthy vegetation. 



The grafs plants of the natural kind which have been found by experienced cultU 

 vators moft ufeful and beneficial in the different views that have been before fug. 

 gefted are : the Sweet-fcented Vernal Grafs ; Meadow Fox-tail Grafs 5 Smooth* 

 (talked Meadow Grafs ; Rough-ftalked Meadow Grafs ; Meadow Fefcue Grafs j 

 Sheep Fefcue Grafs j Hard Fefcue Grafs ; Tall Fefcue Grafs \ Crefted Dog s-tail 

 Grafs j Ray or Rye Grafs ; Yorkmire White j Cock s-foot Grafs | Tall Oat 

 Grafs ; Timothy Grafs ; Yarrow ; Burnet ; White Clover j Trefoil j Cow 

 Grafs ; Rib Grafs j and a few others which will be defcribed below. 



Moft of thefe different forts of graffes will be found ufeful in laying lands under 

 different circumftances of foil, fituation, and moifture, or drynefs, to the ftate of 

 fward. 



Swee t-f cent ed Vernal Grafs* This is a fort of grafs that comes early into blofTom j 

 it is of courfe valuable as an early grafs, and it is alfo valuable for its readinefs to 

 grow in moft kinds of foil and fituation, being found in bogs, in woods of low 

 growth, or which have had the underwood removed, in rich meadows, and in dry 

 paftures ; but in point of crop it is not fo productive as forne, yet more fo than 

 others : cattle are faid to be fond of it, and it is well known to be the only grafs of 

 this climate which i$ odoriferous; the agreeable fcent of new-made hay being produe~ 

 edalmoft entirely by it ; and the green leaves,when bruifed.readily impart this odour 

 to the fingers, by which means the foliage may conflantly be known } and it may 

 be readily diftinguifhed when in blofTom by its having only two threads or ftamina. 

 to each flower. But it is lefs productive in point of feed than many of the other 

 grafles. In certain fituations, efpccially in dry feafons, its leaves are apt to bo 

 blighted, from adifeafe which changes them to an orange hue, and which has prov. 

 cd highly injurious to the plants when in a cultivated ftate.f 



From conftantly flowering in hard flocked pafture lands, forne fuppofe that 

 it is not much relifhed by cattle in common. In a flight proportion, as that of one 

 eighth, it may however anfwer well.J Jt thrives well on poor fandy foils. 



Meadow Fox-tail Grafe. Is a fort of grafs that fends forth its fpike almoft ag 

 foon, and in fome fituations full as early, as the Sweet-fcented Vernal j it is 



* AntoyantJium odoratum, t Curtis s Praflical Obfervations, | Sole in Bath Papers, voj. JX 



$ Alopecurm pratentis, 



6 



