42 FIRST STEPS IN GENEEAL KNOWLEDGE. 



"We might easily lose ourselves in such a 

 field as that," said Henry ; " and even tall men 

 would not be able to see each other over the tops 

 of the grass." 



"On the Falkland Islands there is an extra- 

 ordinary kind of grass, growing in large tufts or 

 hillocks, which hide the view of the cattle feeding 

 among them. I have seen some of this grass 

 growing in the Botanical Gardens at Kew : but it 

 was a poor little stunted specimen compared with 

 the descriptions of the tussac grass, as it is called, 

 in its native country." 



" What a good thing it is," said Eobert, " that 

 grass comes up everywhere without any trouble !" 

 "It is a great mercy," replied his father, "that 

 God has ' made the grass to grow upon the moun- 

 tains, and green herb for the service of men.' It 

 is also matter for thankfulness that by the skill 

 and industry of the farmer, our fields are sown 

 with the best varieties of these grasses, mixed in 

 such proportions as are suited to the wants of our 

 cattle. Uncivilized nations move from place to 

 place in search of fresh pastures; but civilized 

 people carefully cultivate the same land year after 

 year, and make it yield as much as possible." 



