HORTUS GRAM1NEUS WOB URNENSIS. 151 



constitute a much smaller proportion of the weight of the 

 crop than in the flowering crop. It may be observed here, that 

 there is a great difference between culms and leaves of grasses that 

 have been dried after they were cut in a green and succulent state, 

 or in possession of their nutrient qualities, and those culms and 

 leaves which have been dried (if I may so express it) by Nature 

 when growing : the former retain all their nutritive powers, but the 

 latter very little, if any. In point of early produce in the spring, 

 this grass stands next to the Alopecurus pratemis, (meadow fox- 

 tail), and is superior in this respect to the cock's-foot. 



Ibs. 

 About the middle of April, the meadow fox-tail affords of 



nutritive matter, per acre 483 



At the same season, the meadow fescue, as above, affords 



of nutritive matter, per acre - 382 



The round-panicled cock's-foot, (Dactylis glomerata), ditto 



ditto 358 



It is eaten by horses, oxen, and sheep, but particularly by the 

 two first : its merits will be more clearly seen by comparing it far- 

 ther with the cock's-foot and meadow fox-tail. As it is often three 

 weeks later in flowering than the fox-tail grass, the latter-math 

 produce must be left out for the truth of comparison as regards its 

 comparative value for hay ; and as it is much slower in growth 

 after being cropped than the cock's-foot, it is likewise necessary 

 to omit the latter-math in a comparison of their produce. 



ibs. 



Alopecurus pratensis, (meadow fox-tail), at the ~"| 

 time of flowering, affords of nutritive mat- 

 ter, per acre - - 487 j>. 1194 

 At the time the seed is ripe, ditto ditto - 461 j 

 The produce of latter-math, ditto ditto - 255 j 

 The Festuca pratensis, (meadow fescue), as above, 



affords, from the flowering and seeding crops only 1403 

 The weight of nutritive matter in which the produce 

 of one acre of the meadow fescue exceeds that of 

 fox-tail, is 209 



Or the meadow fescue is of greater value than that of the fox-tail, 



in the proportion nearly of 11 to 9. 

 Dactylis glomerata, (round cock's-foot,) affords of nutri- 

 tive matter, per acre, from three crops, that is, at the 

 time of flowering, at the time of seeding, and from 

 the latter-math crop, as before 2821 



