316 ON THE TUSSAC GRASS. 



some of the seed being- sown in the salt-water marshes near 

 Southampton, Dung-eness, Isle of Sheppey, the fens near the 

 "Wash in Lincolnshire, the banks of the Thames, and south 

 shore of Essex round to Plarwich — in short, anywhere near 

 the sea, preferring-, as a general rule, marsh and peat-bogs to 

 sand-hills or downs, although I would always try both. I 

 should also be g'lad to hear of some having- been tried on 

 inland bog's, as the bog- of Allen and "Chatmoss." I have 

 omitted to mention that I would sow the seed very early in 

 the spring-, and not too deep. 



Journal of the R. A. S. E. vol. vii. part 1. 



[From the Irish Farmer's Jonrnal, May 20, 1846.] 



The tussac g-rass seed in its early stage requires g-entle 

 treatment, otherwise the young- plants Avill fail after they 

 have vegetated ; and during- the first year they appear deli- 

 cate and uncertain : at least such is the result of my obser- 

 vations. I do not mean, however, to infer that the plant 

 will not prove sufliciently hardy for oiu' climate ; on the con- 

 trary, I think it abundantly so : but more than one-half of 

 the plants raised here became sickly and dwindled away, with- 

 out any apparent cause that I could perceive, after they were 

 planted out last May. Considering- that this occurred from 

 their being- deprived of saline matter, I had a very weak solu- 

 tion of common salt in water tried on two plants, leaving- the 

 others as they were. This solution was kept fidly six inches 

 from their roots, and did not appear to have any effect. 

 The plants only commenced to g-row fi-eely towards the end 

 of August, when they continued to make considerable pro- 

 gress luitil the middle of November. Being anxious to 

 increase the stock as speedily as possible, and ignorant of the 

 effect our winter would have upon them, I had the strongest 

 plants taken up, divided, and replanted in a glazed frame, 

 where only one out of the eight survived the winter. Three 

 others were lifted with balls of earth, and potted without 

 being disturbed. They continued to grow during- the win- 

 ter, and so did one good plant which was left without any 

 protection in the open border, and which is now the best we 

 have. It is growing vigorously, and will afford good side- 

 shoots for propagating. These grow readil}'', if carefully 

 slipped off, and planted in small pots at this period of the 

 year. I have, therefore, no longer any doubt of the tussac 

 grass being freely introduced within a short period. From 



