262 History of the English Landed Interest. 



wanting," says this same advanced writer, " to ascertain with 

 precision the comparative value in this respect of these and 

 many other kinds of food." He was quite prepared to admit 

 that what was one animal's food was another's poison, and 

 that what would fatten a beast for the butcher would but 

 create disease in an animal required for draught purposes. 

 Long-leaved water hemlock, he pointed out, was poisonous to 

 cows, but wholesome to goats ; monkshood, not at all hurtful 

 to the horse, disagreed with the goat. Sheep, horses, and 

 cattle are poisoned by the broad-leaved kalmia, which affords 

 a grateful food to deer. Pepper was fatal to swine, but good 

 for poultry. Cows refused to touch meadow-sweet, which was 

 highly relished by goats ; and lastly, horses devoured the 

 water-mint and musk-thistle, which cattle avoided entirely. 

 Some plants, like the " bulling grass " of Scotland, were bene- 

 ficial for breeding purposes ; others increased the flow of milk 

 in the cow and ewe. Some added to the proportion of cream ; 

 others affected the taste of butter. It was therefore worth 

 inquiring if plants, like climates, had any effect on the natural 

 clothing of domestic animals, and how variations in age, size, 

 and breed could be best utilised for the production of wool 

 and fat. 



The practice of sowing different kinds of grass-seeds had 

 been first introduced into Britain a century before. It had 

 been long recognised that old pasture was superior in 

 feeding qualities to new. "What bearing had this on the 

 varieties and ages of grasses ? Was the practice of sowing a 

 renovating mixture on worn-out turf good or pernicious ? To 

 answer such questions as these, a thorough knowledge of the 

 varieties in use was required.^ Rye-grass, like the couch- 

 grass, knot-grass, narrow-leaved sorrel, wild mint, etc., was 

 short-lived, and therefore useless for purposes of renovation. 

 In fact, all grasses that run chiefly to seed stalks would seem 

 to be improper for such a purpose, and preference should 

 therefore be given to those which throw up most leaves, such 



' Stillingfleet's Calendar of Flora for the years 1755 and 17b7 must 

 have been invaUiable in such a quest. 



