158 HORTUS GRAM1NEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. Ibs. 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 3913 9 8 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 21^ 

 The produce of the space, ditto 5 2 J 5 



At the time the seed is ripe, the produce is 

 Grass, 20 oz. The produce per acre - 13612 8 



80 dr. of grass weigh when dry 24 ^ 



The produce of the space, ditto 96 1 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 9528 12 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 21^ 

 The produce of the space, ditto 11 1 j 



The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by taking 

 the crop before the seed is perfected, being one-half 

 of its value, is, 239 4 2 



The value of the grass at each of these stages of growth is equal. 

 The superior weight of nutritive matter afforded by the crop at the 

 time the seed is ripe, arises from the increase of grass which takes 

 place during the time the seed is perfecting ; and in this case, as 

 in all others where it is shewn that the nutritive matter of the seed 

 crop exceeds that contained in the flowering crop, the loss of 

 latter-math which would have been produced in the time the seed 

 was perfecting must always be considered : this caution is perhaps 

 unnecessary to the judicious, candid, and truly practical Farmer. 

 When the practice becomes general of saving the necessary quan- 

 tity of seed for the farm, (which I doubt not will happen, though 

 at a remote period,) these comparisons between the value of the 

 flowering and seed crops will possess their proper interest. The 

 seed crops of the natural grasses are in general, at least as far as 

 my observations have reached, left too long growing ; the green, or 

 the withered state of the culms, is an uncertain criterion to judge 

 of the ripeness of the seed of the perennial grasses, though gene- 

 rally good for the different annual sorts. In the greater part 

 of the perennial grasses, the culms are far from being either 

 withered or dry when the seed is ripe, which is determined, in 

 almost all cases, by passing the spike or panicle between the 

 fingers ; if a portion of the seed separate by this means, it will be 

 found in the best state for collecting ; it should, however, be suf- 

 fered to remain in the ears after being cut until the grass be per- 

 fectly dry. When the grass is suffered to remain uncut till 

 the culms are withered and dry, and the seed separates on a slight 



