obtained the name of Sicecl-scenled Vernal 

 Grass. Botanists call it A ufhoxanthiim odor- 

 alum. The scent somewhat resembles that of 

 vanilla. It grows about a foot or eighteen inches 

 high, rising above the surrounding grass. Its 

 stem is very small and round, with a few long 

 and slender leaves. Its odor vyill alone he 

 sufficient to distinguish it from all other grasses 

 found in our pastures. When in blossom, the 

 air is often highly charged with its scent, and 

 at this time I seldom ride into the country 

 without gathering a handful of the grass to en- 

 joy its rich perfumes at leisure, and perhaps 

 store it away in a dravver. As it is so very for- 

 ward in its growth, so does it show the earli- 

 est signs of decay. About the middle of June 

 the fields and meadows ^vhere it abounds as- 

 sume a yellowish appearance from the dying 

 of the stems of the first growth. The cattle 

 press these aside to get at greener herbage, 

 and now the high flavor of our Butter declines. 

 The Sweet-scented Vernal Grass is a native 

 of Europe, whence it has doubtless been inti-o- 

 duced into the vicinity of Philadelphia, blended 

 probably with other grass seeds. It has long 

 become naturalized, and now 15^ccurs among 

 oilier spontaneous herbage, disputing the right 

 of soil with the common green grass, and never 

 }-ielding possession till turned under by the 

 plow, after which it clings to the unbroken 

 fe«ce and head-rows. Though seldom, if ever 

 regularly sown here, it constitutes a part of the 

 growth of most English pastures, thriving in 

 nearly every kind of soil. The sweet odor for 

 which English meadow bay is so noted, comes 

 from the admixture of this grass. It is, how- 

 ever, seldom, if ever sown by itself, but usually 

 mixes with the seeds of other grasses adapted 

 to the formation of permanent pastures. It 

 ranks rather low on account of nutritious prop- 

 erties, but is principally esteemed for its early 

 growth, and continuing to throw up fresh shoots 

 till the end of autumn. Indeed, the aftermath, 

 or second growth, is pai'ticularly prized for 

 grazing purpo.ses. 



A chemical examination of the Sweet-scented 

 Vernal Grass shows that while its nutritious 

 properties are less than those of most other 

 gra-sses, it is distinguished from these bj' con- 

 taining benzoic acid, or flowers of benzoin, a 

 substance possessing a peculiarly agreeable 

 aromatic odor. An essential oil in which this 

 resides can be distilled from the gra.ss, affording 

 a pleasant perfume. It is undoubtedly this aro- 

 matic ingredient that imparts to the milky se- 

 cretion of the cow the flavor so pleasantlj- mani- 

 fested in Philadelphia Spring-Grass Butter. 

 When we find milk so readily imbued with the 

 peculiar flavors of garlic, turnips and other sub- 

 stances upon which cows often feed, there can 

 be no room to doubt that a fragrant grains freely 

 (1013) 



eaten by cows should likewise impart its par- 

 ticular flavor to the milky secretion. 



If this very simple solution of the cause of 

 the high flavor of Philadelphia Spring Butter be 

 ti-ue — and I have not the least doubt upon tha 

 subject, you can at once perceive that a pasture 

 grass may be introduced almost everj- where, 

 which will communicate an exquisite flavor to 

 Butter. 



In London, Epping and Cambridge Butter are 

 both greatly extolled for their high and delicate 

 flavor. The cows producing the former, which 

 is most esteemed, graze during summer in the 

 wild pastures of Epping Forest, and the high 

 flavor of their Butter has been commonly a.s- 

 cribed to the wild shrubs, plants, and leaves of 

 trees which they feed upon. The Cambi-iJge 

 Butter is also produced from cows that graze 

 upon natural pastures, one part of the year on 

 uplands, and the other in rich meadows. As 

 the Sweet-scented Vernal Grass is common to 

 the natural pastures of England, I doubt not it 

 may be found most abundant in those of Ep- 

 ping, Cambridge and other places most cele- 

 brated for high-flavored Butter. So far as I can 

 find by inquiry and research in English books, 

 the particular grass which contiibutes the great- 

 er part, if not all the fine high flavor to the best 

 and most costly Butter, has never, as yet been 

 identified. Without such exact knowledge this 

 flavor of Butter must necessarily remain beyond 

 the control of the agriculturist, wherever Xature 

 or accident has not provided the pastures with 

 the aromatic agent. 



I remain very respectfully your?. &c. 



G. EMERSON. 



Plowisg. — I think I may say that in Eng- 

 land and Scotland the art of plowing has reached 

 perfection, and that it is iinrivaled and unsur- 

 passable. This, at least, is my opinion, which 

 mu.st be taken at what it is worth. I cannot 

 conceive how it can be improved ; and this not 

 in rare instances, and at plowing matches, but I 

 may say universally. In some cases, the work 

 has been done better than in others ; but I have 

 not seen an example of bad plowing in the 

 country ; I have not seen one which, in the 

 United States, would not be pronounced su- 

 perior. 



A ruffle from under a crimping-iron does not 

 present a more beautiful object than a well- 

 plowed field from under the hands of an Eng- 

 lish or a Scotch artist. The lines are all straight ; 

 the furrows well turned ; the headlands cross- 

 plowed ; the corners finished. A well-discip- 

 lined mind enjoys the hichcst pleasure from 

 seeing an operation of any kind, even the most 

 humble, well performed, and perfected accord- 

 inir to its proper measure. 



There is something, likewise, extremely grati- 

 fying in witncs.sin2: the progress and advance- 

 ment of human skill and art. From digging the 

 ground with a stick, that a hole might be made 

 for till! deposit of the seed, to the perfect inver- 

 sion of it by the plow, what an immense stride ! 

 [Colman's European .■Sericulture. 



