164 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



Produce per Acre. 



Ibs. 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 15246 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 2 dr. 3 qr. 7 

 The produce of the space, ditto 19 1 3 



The weight of nutritive matter which is lost by leav- 

 ing the crop till the seed be ripe, exceeding one- 

 third part of its value, is - 372 3 8 



The proportional value in which the first grass of the spring is 

 inferior to that at the time of flowering, is as 16 to 9 ; and the 

 grass of the flowering crop exceeds that of the seed crop in the 

 proportion of 16 to 11. 



Produce per Acre. 



The produce of latter-math is Ibs. 



Grass, 10 oz. The produce per acre 6806 1 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 1 dr. 2 qr. 



per acre 159 8 5 



The grass of the latter-math is therefore of inferior value to that 

 of the spring, to that at the time of flowering, and to that at the 

 time the seed is ripe. 



This is a very common grass, and grows on all soils, from the 

 richest to the poorest. It attains to the greatest degree of luxu- 

 riance on light moist soils ; particularly on those of a peaty nature. 

 Cattle prefer almost any other grass to this ; it is seen in pastures 

 with full-grown perfect leaves, while the grasses that surround it 

 are cropped to the roots. 



The numerous downy hairs which cover the surface of the whole 

 plant render the hay that is made of it soft and spongy, and in this 

 state it is disliked by cattle, particularly by horses. Sir Humphry 

 Davy has shewn that its nutritive matter consists entirely of muci- 

 lage and sugar ; and that the nutritive matters of the grasses 

 most liked by cattle have either a sub-acid or saline taste ; and 

 observes, that the taste of the nutritive matter of the PIolcus 

 lanatus is similar to that of gum Arabic ; and this grass might 

 probably be made more palatable to cattle by being sprinkled over 

 with salt. This may be done at so little expense and trouble at 

 the time the hay is carried, that it cannot be too earnestly recom- 

 mended to the notice of those gentlemen who may have much of 

 this grass in their meadows or pastures. The late Duke of Bed- 

 ford made trial of this grass on a large scale : the results proved 



