HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 383 



meadows. Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), round-panicled 

 cock's-foot (Dactylis glomerata), field brome-grass (Bromus ar- 

 vensis), meadow-fescue (Festuca pratensis) ; these occupied the 

 crowns and sides of the ridges. The furrows were stocked with 

 the creeping-bent (Agrostis stolonifera), marsh-bent (Agrostis pa- 

 lustris), hard fescue (Festuca duriuscula), lesser variety of meadow 

 cat's-tail (Phleum pratense, var. minus), woolly soft-grass (Holcus 

 lanatus), rough-stalked meadow-grass (Poa trivialis), meadow- 

 fescue (Festuca pratensis), and a small admixture of other species, 

 which were thinly scattered over every part of the ridge ; these 

 were, meadow-barley (Hordeum pratense), yellow or golden oat 

 (Avena Jiavescens), crested dog's-tail (Cynosurus cristatus), rye- 

 grass (Lolium perenne), sweet-scented vernal-grass (Anthoxanthum 

 odoratum), tufted vetch (Vicia cracca) ; with a larger proportion of 

 the tall oat-like soft-grass (Holcus avenaceus). The meadow cat's- 

 tail (Phleum pratense), I never met with in irrigated meadows, but 

 only the lesser variety of it, and that not very prevalent. It is a 

 very common grass, however, in some natural meadows that I 

 have had an opportunity to examine. The soil of the water-mea- 

 dows which produced the above grasses was either a deep active 

 peat, incumbent on a siliceous sand, or a sandy loam on a chalky 

 or gravelly subsoil. In some irrigated meadows that I examined, 

 where the ridges were formed nearly flat, and the soil consisted of 

 a sandy loam on a retentive clayey subsoil, the following grasses 

 constituted the chief produce: crested dog's-tail (Cynosurus cris- 

 tatus), creeping-rooted soft-grass (Holcus mollis), rye-grass (Lolium 

 perenne), meadow-barley (Hordeum prateme), tall oat-like soft- 

 grass (Holcus avenaceus), sweet-scented vernal, and soft brome- 

 grass (Holcus mollis). Though this soil was not entirely destitute 

 of the superior kinds of grasses mentioned as the produce of the 

 former meadows, yet they were in very small quantity, being thinly 

 scattered over certain portions of the ridges only. It seems pro- 



1804. Feb. 27. One hundred and sixty-four hog-sheep, nine weeks ) 

 at fivepence - - \ 



Spring food per acre, 3/. 8s. 4d. 



For full details respecting the construction and value of irrigated meadows, 

 consult Brown's Rural Affairs, p. 263 ; Young's Annals ; Agricultural Surveys, 

 viz. Middlesex, by Marshall, i. p. 284 ; Wilts, by Davis ; Dorset, by Coldridge ; 

 Hants, by Driver; Brecknock, by Clark; Communications to the Board of 

 Agriculture, vol. iv. 



