HORTUS GRAMINEUS WOBURNENSIS. 



403 



cess must not be discontinued while a particle of the root is sus- 

 pected to remain in the soil, as the least portion will grow, and 

 the land being so much broken and loosened by the operation, 

 gives double encouragement for the rapid growth of the plant. 

 It does not thrive well when combined with other grasses, but is 

 naturally more common in hedges. 



The roots contain a large proportion of nutritive matter ; they 

 are esteemed abroad for feeding horses; at Naples, they are 

 collected in large quantities for this purpose, and brought to 

 market. My friend, the Rev. Thomas Roy, sent me some of these 

 roots from Naples ; they were much larger than I had seen of 

 British growth. On trial, the given quantity afforded 6 dr. 2 qr. 

 of nutritive matter, being, in this respect, superior to the English 

 roots in the proportion of 26 to 23. Boerhaave recommends the 

 juice of the root to be drunk liberally in obstructions of the 

 viscera ; particularly in cases of scirrhous liver and jaundice. 

 Dogs eat the leaves of this grass, and also those of the Holcus 

 avenaceus, to excite vomiting. The nutritive matter from the 

 leaves contains an excess of bitter extractive and saline matters. 



Flowers about the beginning of August, and the seed is ripe 

 about the end of the month ; but is seldom good, being subject 

 to mildew. 



MILLIUM effusum. Common Millet-grass. 



Specific character: Flowers panicled, dispersed, awnless. 



Obs. Stems generally rising to three or four feet in height, 

 with about four joints ; leaves smooth, thin, and weak ; 

 panicles from four inches to a foot in length; branches loose; 

 pedicles often in whirls, diverging by glands fixed in the axils, 

 which has caused it to be mistaken sometimes for the Poa 

 retroflexa or P. distans. Mr. Curtis observes, that it is distin- 

 guished from the panics, to which it has the greatest natural 

 affinity, by having a calyx of two valves only. Engl. Bot. 

 1106; Curt. Lond. iv. 12, 248. Wither. Arr. Native of 

 Britain. Root perennial. 



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



light sandy soil is 



Produce per Acre, 

 dr. qr. Ibs. 



Grass, 11 oz. 8 dr. The produce per acre 7827 3 



80 dr. of grass weigh, when dry 31 > ^033 n 



The produce of the space, ditto - 111 2f 3 







