MEADOWS. 121 



the gramineal family. 4th. Timothy. This grass, in 

 Europe, is called herd-grass, cat's-tail, or phleum 

 pratense (the botanical name) ; but, as the plant is 

 of Yankee origin, we have chosen to retain the 

 Yankee denomination. Its reputation abroad was at 

 one time very high, and in moist grounds deserves to 

 be so at all times ; but, being very tardy in showing 

 itself in the spring, it has in many places fallen into 

 disuse. 5th. Ray or rye-grass, to the good proper- 

 ties of timothy, superadds that precocity which tim- 

 othy wants. " We have seen," says Gilbert, " in 

 the canton of Basle, rye-grass five feet high on the 

 first day of June ;" and M. de Courset assures us 

 that he has obtained " three cuttings from it in one 

 year." Sheep are found to prefer it in the spring 

 to any other plant ; and the shepherds of Spain have 

 a proverb which very energetically expresses its 

 nutritive qualities : " Bouccado van ventrado," a 

 mouthful is a bellyful. We particularly invite the 

 attention of farmers having clay, or other moist or 

 wet soils, to the cultivation of this and the two fol- 

 lowing species of grasses. 6th. Oat-grass, the Ave- 

 na elatior of botanists, was first cultivated in 1754, 

 and, having been committed to a good soil, the re- 

 sults were highly favourable. It was accordingly 

 recommended as yielding abundance of forage, and 

 of a good quality : and that the first cutting might 

 take place as early as the last of March. Though 

 new and extended experiments have in some degree 

 diminished this reputation, still enough of it is left 

 to render this grass a favourite with every scientific 

 agriculturist. 7th. Of the meadow fox-tail there are 

 four species, but we shall speak only of the Alope- 

 curus pratensis, which, of all the grasses we have 

 mentioned, is the tallest, the most vigorous, and 

 the soonest fit for pasturage or the scythe. Its 

 hay appears to be of a better quality than that of 

 the gramineal grasses, because equally relished by 

 cows, horses, and sheep. It is only, however, in 

 L 



