Book VI. 



PASTURE GRASSES. 



825 



grass. Though this disease begins in the straws, the leaves suffer most from its effects, 

 being at the time the seed is ripe completely dried up : the straws, therefore, constitute 

 the principal part of the crop for mowing, and they contain more nutritive matter in 

 proportion than the leaves. This grass is evidently most valuable for permanent pasture, 

 for which, in consequence of its superior, rapid, and early growth, and the disease 

 beginning at the straws, nature seems to have designed it. The grasses which approach 

 nearest to this in respect of early produce of leaves, are the poa fertilis, dactylis glome- 

 rata, phleum pratense, alopecurus pratensis, avena elatior, and bromus littoreus, all 

 grasses of a coarser kind. 



5 1 34. The best natural pastures of England, examined carefully during various periods 

 of the season, were found by Sinclair, of Woburn, to consist of the following plants: 



Alopecurus pratensis. Anthoxanthum odoratum. 



Dactylis glomerata. Holcus avenaceus. 



Festuca pratensis. Vicia sepium. 



riileum pratense. Lolium perenne. 



These aftbrd the principal grass in the spring, and also a great part of the summer produce. 



Bromus arvensis (frequent.) 

 Poa annua. 

 Avena pratensis. 



Avena flavescens. 

 Hordeum pratense. 

 Cynosurus cristatus. 

 Festuca duriuscula. 



Trifolium repens. 

 Lathyrus pratensis. 

 Festuca duriuscula. 



Rumere acetosa. 



and the other is of little value as 



Poa trivialis. 

 Poa pratensis. 

 Holcus lanatus. 

 Tvfolium pratensa. 

 i' These yield produce principally in summer and autumn. 



Achillea millefolium. Agrostis stolonifera and palustris. Triticum repens. 



These vegetate with most vigor in autumn. 



Ranunculus acris. Plantago lanceolata. 



The first and last of these plants are to be considered as injurious ; 

 herbage. {Hori. Gram. Wob. 2d edit. 133.) 



5135. The above mixture sown at the rate of four or five bushels to the acre, on well 

 prepared soil without corn or other crop of any kind, could hat-dly fail of producing 

 excellent pasture the following year, and for an endless period. The best time for 

 sowing is July or August, as spring sown seeds are apt to suffer with the droughts of 

 June and July. Fifteen of the above sorts are to be had from the seed shops ; and all 

 of them may be gathered from natural pastures, or bespoke from collectors. , Sinclair, 

 of Woburn, having entered into the seed and nursery business, and having expressed his 

 intention to devote his particular attention to supplying the public with grass and other 

 agricultural seeds, will probably render such seeds more common in commerce. {Advt. 

 by Cormack, Son and Sinclair.) 



5136. Of late pasture grasses the different species of cat's-tail (Phleum), and bent- 

 grass (Agrostis), are the chief, and especially the Timothy and fiorin-grass. The grasses. 

 Sir H. Davy observes, that propagate themselves by stolones, the different species of 

 agrostis, supply pasture throughout the year ; and the concrete sap, stored up in their 

 joints, renders them a good food even in winter. 



5137. Of pasture grasses for inferior soils one of the most durable is the dogVtail grass 

 ^Cynosurus cristatus, fig. 584 a). This is a very common grass on dry, clayey, or firm 



h 



surfaces. It is one of the best grasses for parks, being highly relished by the South Down 

 sheep and deer. 



5138. The hard fescue grass (Festuca duriuscula, 6), is one of the best of the dwarf 

 sorts of grasses. It is grateful to all kinds of cattle; hares are very fond of it; at 

 Woburn they crop it close to the roots, and neglect the festuca ovina, and festuca rubra, 

 wliich grow contiguous to it. It is present in most good meadows and pastures, and with 

 F. ovina is the best for lawns. 



5139. The festuca glabra (c), and hordiformis (d), greatly resemble the hard fescue, 

 and may be considered as equally desirable as pasture and lawn grasses. 



5 140. The yclloiu oat grass (Avena JLavcsccns), is very generally cultivated, and appears, 

 from the Woburn experiments, to be a veiy valuable grass for pasture on a clayey soil. 



