208 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



the property of impoverishing the soil in as eminent a degree as 

 that grass. Its produce, when first planted on a soil, is much 

 greater than afterwards, on account of its exhausting nature. 

 The produce of early foliage is inconsiderable, and less nutritive 

 than many others. To the eye it produces an abundance of seed, 

 but, in general, it is imperfectly formed, and, when sown, pro- 

 duces few plants in proportion to the quantity of seed employed. 

 The merits of this grass will appear, from the above details, to be 

 inferior to most of the grasses that have already come under 

 observation, and offer no grounds on which to recommend it to 

 the notice of the Agriculturist. 



The smooth awnless brome-grass flowers in the second week of 

 July, and ripens the seed in the second and third weeks of August. 



MELICA ciliata. Ciliated Melic-grass. 



Specific character : The outer petal of the lower floret ciliate ; 

 panicle spike-like ; spikelets erect. Flo. Ger. 266. 



Obs. Culms from one to three feet high, according to the 

 quality of the soil. Leaves spear-shaped, mucronate, from 

 three to nine inches long, smooth underneath, slightly pubes- 

 cent above, somewhat rugged downwards, a white nerve runs 

 along the back. Sheath-scale white, cloven ; sheaths striated, 

 the lower a little pubescent and rugged, the upper ones 

 smooth and glossy; but as the seed approaches towards 

 perfection, it becomes feathered with long woolly hairs. 

 Hort. Gram. Wob. Fol. 101. German Gefranztes Perlgras. 



Native of Germany. Root fibrous. Perennial. 



Experiments. At the time of flowering, the produce from a 



rich sandy loam is 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. Ibs. 



Grass, 10 oz. The produce per acre 6806 4 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 32 } 9799 o ^ 



The produce of the space, ditto 64 j 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 4083 12 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 80 gr. } 

 The produce of the space, ditto - 200 3 

 At the time the seed is ripe, the produce is 



dr. qr. 



Grass, 10 oz. The produce per acre 6806 4 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 36 ? 



The produce of the space, ditto 72 03 



