IIORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 177 



On all poor exhausted soils that have been injudiciously laid 

 down to grass, this species is more common than on any other land. 

 It very much resembles the two last-mentioned species of Bromus 

 in appearance and habits, but flowers several weeks earlier, and the 

 seed is generally ripe before hay-harvest commences. This cir- 

 cumstance, which is an unfortunate one to the Farmer, is favour- 

 able to the soft brome-grass, as it secures its existence for another 

 season. From the above details it appears to be greatly inferior 

 to the field brome-grass, and many-flowered brome. It produces 

 but little foliage in the spring; and the flowering culms are 

 soon formed, and become nodding at top, or bent downwards with 

 the weight of the seed, which is large, and much relished by birds. 

 When once this grass introduces itself into a field, it is a very dif- 

 ficult task to overcome it; for, though an annual, or one-year-lived 

 plant, like the other two bromes, and though cut when in flower, 

 it will, nevertheless, continue to send up fresh culms from the root 

 till a late period of the season ; and these late or secondary culms 

 being of a very low stature, are seldom perceived, but on a close 

 inspection of the herbage. Thus it happens, that after sacrificing 

 the crop of hay, (which, however, is never great if this grass pre- 

 vails,) by mowing the field when this grass is in flower, and before 

 the other pasture-grasses have attained to any degree of maturity, 

 the soft brome-grass next season makes its appearance in abun- 

 dance, as before. One remedy is, therefore, to mow repeatedly, 

 as the flowering culms make their appearance, till the roots of the 

 annual grass are exhausted, and then to apply sufficient top- 

 dressings to compensate the soil for the want of the grazing 

 manure. But prevention is most to be recommended ; and that is 

 effected by judicious cropping, and never suffering the land to be- 

 come too poor or exhausted : when this is faithfully performed, the 

 soft brome will but seldom appear, or will soon be overcome by 

 its more powerful neighbours. This grass, however, sometimes 

 makes its appearance on a sudden in lands that were before 

 strangers to it, which is caused by its seed being mixed with that 

 of the grain or grass-seed used in sowing the land. It may there- 

 fore be worthy the notice of the Agriculturist to examine such 

 seeds before they are committed to the soil. The figures and 

 description of seeds given at page 24, will enable him to detect the 

 seed of the soft brome, and other inferior grasses. 



It flowers about the middle of May, and ripens the seed about 

 the first or second week of June. 



