132 ARRHENATHERUM, TALL OAT-GRASS. 



to animals, and there is no reason why this grass should be 

 regarded as fit for cultivation. The variety bulbosum is apt to 

 become a troublesome weed, difficult to extirpate." 



William Gorrie, of England, says : " It is most extensively cul- 

 tivated on the continent ; speedily attains to maturity from seed, 

 yields continuously from early spring till winter frosts a large 

 bulk of produce, yet it contains a small proportion of nutriment 

 and possesses a very disagreeable, bitter taste, which causes it to 

 be avoided by horses, cattle, and sheep. It is very subject to 

 rust and black smut. It abounds chiefly on light, dry, arable 

 soils. Its cultivation under any circumstances would not fail to 

 create suspicions of lunacy against the grower. Its extirpation 

 alone demands attention." 



Baron J. B. Lawes says: " The endowments favorable to this 

 grass are its hardiness, its comparative indifference to the char- 

 acter of the soil, its particularly ample root growth, both deep 

 and superficial, its strong, tufted habit, and its early flowering 

 tendency. It yields a considerable quantity of foliage on the 

 culms, which affords a good deal of leafy feed in the spring. It 

 produces rapidly after cutting ; its taste is bitter, but it is not 

 disliked by cattle. It does not grow abundantly except upon 

 poor soils, and is, upon the whole, of somewhat questionable 

 value. It is much grown in France." 



The late Professor James Buckman, also of England, a good 

 botanist who had given much study to the grasses, said : " This 

 is exceedingly bitter, uniformly refused by cows and sheep unless 

 starved to it by want of something better. We think it would be 

 better to discourage its growth. We have two forms, one of which 

 is the variety bulbosum, growing in sandy lands. In this the 

 bulbs become enlarged and look like a string of onions on a small 

 scale, which gives it the name of 'onion couch.' The only way 

 to get rid of it is to hand pick it after repeated plowing and 

 harrowing." 



