214 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. Ibs. 



The weight lost by the produce of one acre in drying 10481 10 

 64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 23} . ~ 

 The produce of the space, ditto 15 $ 



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

 Grass, 5 oz. The produce per acre 3403 2 



64 dr. of grass afford of nutritive matter 10 53 2 12 



The weight of nutritive matter, in which the produce 

 of one acre, at the time the seed is ripe, exceeds 

 that at the time of flowering, is 337 10 8 



The proportional value which the grass at the time of flowering 

 bears to that at the time the seed is ripe, is as 11 to 10 ; and to the 

 grass of the latter-math, as 5 to 2. 



There has often been occasion to observe, that though grass, 

 when left till the seed be ripe, may afford a greater quantity 

 of nutritive matter, nevertheless the value of the latter-math which 

 is lost by this means is often greater than the extra quantity of 

 nutritive matter thus obtained ; add to this the impoverishing 

 effects of the plants on the soil by the process of ripening 

 the seed, and the less palatable nature of the hay. The plants of 

 grass are likewise much weakened by the production of seed, for 

 in all the experiments I have made the produce of latter-math 

 proved always less, in many instances one-half less, in a given 

 time after the seed crop, than after the crop taken at the time of 

 flowering; I never could perceive, however, that the bad effects 

 extended in any degree to the next following season, the weight of 

 produce being then as frequently superior as equal or less. 



Hye-grass appears to have been cultivated previous to the 

 year 1677 ;* besides which, red clover, sainfoin, spurrey, trefoil, 

 and nonsuch, were the only plants then cultivated as grasses, or 

 termed such. And it is only of late years that any other species 

 of the natural grasses has been tried as a substitute for it in forming 

 artificial pastures as cat's-tail grass (Phleum pratense) ; cock's- 

 foot grass (Dactylis glomerata) ; and fox-tail grass (Alopecurus 

 pratensis). The cat's-tail grass appears to have been made trial of 

 before either- of the other two, not more "than fifty years ago, 



* See the first edition of Woldridge's Husbandry : my copy is the third edition, 

 dated 1681. 



