The Fa7'm Livestock of the Period. 261 



a small patch of this variety, which was cut in the month of 

 September, had advanced before winter to the length of five 

 or six inches, " forming the closest pile that could be imagined." 

 " And although there had been about six weeks of very in- 

 tense frost with snow, and about six weeks immediately suc- 

 ceeding that, of exceeding frost every night with frequent 

 thaws in the day-time without any snow, during which time 

 almost every green thing was destroyed, yet this little patch 

 continued all along to retain as fine a verdure as any meadow 

 in the month of May." Purple fescue, vernal grass, and burnet 

 possessed the same qualities, though in a less degree. Common 

 rye-grass, soft grass, the myrrh plant and epilobium, though 

 incapable of resisting frost, were earlier in leaf in the new 

 jT-oar than other varieties. Some grasses, like the common 

 milk-wort, yarrow or milfoil, sheep's fescue, etc., only appear 

 after the ground has been for some considerable length of time 

 in grass; while, on the other hand, "couch-grass, knot-grass, 

 and earth-nut only flourish while the ground is under cultiva- 

 tion, or at most for a year or two after it is laid into grass ; 

 after which time the}'- usually disappear, and are no longer 

 seen till the ground has been again in tillage for some time " 

 — a fact which was taken advantage of by Scotch farmers for 

 getting rid of these destructive weeds.' 



It had been also observed that dry food seemed less apt to 

 produce fat than more succulent varieties ; that peas and 

 other leguminous grain had a greater tendency to promote a 

 quantity of fat and juicy flesh than oats ; that the Arabs, who 

 paid especial attention to their horses, fed them with a paste 

 of dates and camel's milk ; that the Portuguese preferred 

 chestnuts to barley or oats as horse-feed ; that carrots were 

 coming into use in England for a similar purpose, and that 

 bruised whins greatly promoted the health of the same quad- 

 ruped. Without stopping to criticise these assertions, it may 

 be assumed that the British agriculturist was full}^ alive to 

 the necessity for further chemical knowledge on the sustain- 

 ing powers of various fodder plants. " Experiments are still 



' Would that couch-grass {triticxim repens) were so easily got rid of ! 



