UNCLE IN ENGLAND, 173 



while others, whose leaves continue to grow after 

 the seed is formed, retain their verdure and 

 juices during the whole season, as in the poa 

 and fescue tribes, whose leaves are green and 

 fresh, when the seeds are ripe. Ignorant farmers 

 do not attend to this, and often, in mistake, sow 

 those very grasses that run all to stalk and seed. 

 Besides the numerous families of real grasses, 

 there is also a great variety of plants cultivated 

 by farmers, to supply their places, and are, there- 

 fore, called the artificial grasses. 



" In some cases they are of more rapid growth 

 than a crop of grass in others, the change is 

 of use to the soil. Sainfoin, for instance^ of 

 which you see so much in Gloucestershire, is 

 found to be particularly adapted to a soil ex- 

 hausted by repeated corn crops, because its root 

 enters deeply into the ground, while the fibrous 

 roots of corn spread close to the surface. Lu- 

 cern, clover, vetches, and other succulent and 

 quickly growing plants of this nature, are also 

 called artificial grasses and are thus of great 

 advantage to the farmer, by supplying his cattle 

 with excellent food, and at the same time by al- 

 ternately giving rest to different portions of his 

 ground." 



4th. Some visiters have just arrived ; they 

 are to spend a week here, and I am sure we 



Q 3 



