384 HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



bable that the flatness of the ridges tended much to prevent these 

 grasses from flourishing on the sandy loam incumbent on clay, 

 for I invariably found the head ridges, which had been raised 

 considerably above the level of the rest, as the first conductors of 

 the water, were plentifully stocked with the superior grasses, and 

 as productive of grass as those of the first-mentioned meadows. 



The hay of water-meadows is generally supposed to be less 

 nutritious than the hay of rich permanent pasture land. I com- 

 pared the quantity of nutritive matter afforded by these grasses, 

 produced under irrigation, and those produced in rich permanent 

 pasture land. The difference was much less than I had Expected. 

 An instance may suffice : 



4ft 



Rye-grass (Lolium perenne), at the time of flowering^ 

 taken from a water-meadow that had been fed off 

 with sheep till the end of April, afforded of nutri- 

 tive matter - * 



The same weight of this grass, taken from a rich old j 

 pasture that had been shut up for hay about the > 95 

 same time, afforded of nutritive matter - j 



The same grass, from the meadow that had not been 7 JQQ 

 depastured in the spring, afforded - $ 



That from the rich pasture that had not been depas- ) -, ^rv 

 ttired, afforded 3 



A water-meadow may be said to be a hot-bed for grass. The 

 rapidity with which vegetation advances by the process of irriga- 

 tion justifies the comparison. The small deficiency of nutritive 

 matter in water-meadow hay, is what might be expected from 

 such a cause ; as we find it exemplified by daily experience, in the 

 instances of esculent vegetables that are forced beyond their 

 natural habits. The same effects are produced by the application 

 of an excess of manure. 



On a spot in a field of artificial pasture, where a large portion 

 of cow-dung had been accumulated, the grass was extremely 

 rank, and of a very deep green colour, distinguishable from the 

 rest of the rye-grass pasture at a considerable distance. 



Four ounces weight of this luxuriant tuft was sub-^k 



mitted to experiment, and it afforded of nutritive f 72 grains. 

 matter - - - - - * 



