172 BERTHA'S VISIT TO HER 



and it is adapted to almost every soil, climate, 

 and situation. The grasses are a very exten- 

 sive tribe, and yet throughout the whole of it, 

 nothing poistmous or injurious is found, except, 

 perhaps, the stupefying quality attributed to the 

 seeds of the lolium, or rye-grass. The farina- 

 ceous produce of wheat, rye, barley, rice, maize, 

 and many others, supplies mankind with the 

 most general and wholesome nutriment." 



As we walked along, I shewed him quantities 

 of wild ranunculus mixed with the grass, and I 

 asked, was there no way of preventing the 

 growth of all those weeds. He answered, that a 

 certain proportion of what we vulgarly called 

 weeds, are now considered useful in making the 

 grass more palateable to cattle, and even more 

 wholesome " Just in the same manner," said 

 he, " as men could scarcely live on flour alone, 

 so cattle cannot be well supported by mere grass, 

 without the addition of various plants, in them- 

 selves too acrid, bitter, or narcotic, to be eaten 

 unmixed. Salt, spices, and a portion of animal 

 food, supply us with the requisite stimulus or 

 additional nutriment ; and, in the same manner, 

 the ranunculus tribe, and many other plants, 

 season the pasturage of cattle." 



My uncle afterwards told me, that some of 

 the grasses run chiefly to stalks, the leaves de- 

 caying as the seed advances towards perfection : 

 such as rye-grass, dog's-tail grass, and line bent ; 



