894 



PRACTICE OF AGRICULTURE. 



Par. III. 



5703. The Ins/ natural pnstureiqf England, examined carefully during various period* of the season, 

 were found by Sinclair ol Unburn to consist Of the following plants : — 



-llojMviinis pr.iti'nsit. nun Ml lft H fc l'i. i l m pium. P&a annua. 



Mctylls i;!"iii.m.im- Anihr.uaniii,! ,, ,*ioratum. L6Unni perSnnft A\^nn pra^mis. 



/■Vj/ium pr.ui M-i.. // Icuiavan Bidmus arrtealB (frequent). 



These afford the principal grass in the spring, and also a great i art of the summer produce : — 



I it !\. .-IK. 



#/<>lilruin pi 



Cyno uriiH crlctatui' 



/.alhyrus prattfasis. 



Trflicum ripens. 



/iiimex A.rii.'i. 

 and the other is of little value if 



i rlurloscula. IFdlcai 1. m. 1111V. 



/'..i tnvi.ili,. TYifftlium |>rattfnse. 



/'...i pi.iiiii^is. Trifiiliuin leptns. 



These yield produce principally in summer and autumn : — 

 ifdiUUa .VillcfMium. Agrtitlii stolonffera and palustris. 



These vegetate With most vigour in autumn : — 

 /lamim-uhi Planta^o lancealatSa 



The liri-t ami last of these plants are to be considered injurious; 

 herbage. // ;/. Oram. Huh. 2d edit 138.) 



;"i"n+ The above mixture sown at the rate of four or five bushels to the acre, on well prepared soil with, 

 out corn hi other crop Ol any kind, could hardly fail of producing excellent pasture in the following year, 

 and for an indefinite period. The best time for sowing is July or August, as spring-sown seeds are apt to 

 suffer with the droughts of June and July. Fifteen of the above sorts are to be had from the seed-shops ; 

 and all of them may he gathered from natural pastures, or bespoke from collectors. Sinclair of Wobum, 

 having entered into the seed and nursery business, and having expressed his intention to devote his par- 

 ticular attention to supplying the public with grass and other agricultural seeds, will probably render such 

 seeds more common in commerce. {Advt. by Cormack, Son, and Sinclair.) 



570.». Of late pasture grasses the different species of cat's-tail (Phleum) and bent-grass 

 f^grostis) are the chief, and especially the Timothy and florin grass. The grasses, Sir 

 II. Davy observes, that propagate themselves by stolones, the different species of .^grostis, 

 supply pasture throughout the year; and the concrete sap, stored up in their joints, ren- 

 ders them a good food even in winter. 



570(7. Of pasture grasses for inferior soils one of the most durable is the dog's-tail grasa 

 (Cynosurus cristatus, Jig. 793. a). This is a very common grass on dry, clayey, or firm 



surfaces. It is one of the best grasses for parks, being highly relished by the South Down 

 sheep and deer. 



.07H7. The hard fescue grass {Festuca duriuscula, b) is one of the best of the dwarf sorts of grasses. It 

 is grateful to all kinds of cattle ; hares are very fond of it ; at Wobum they crop it close to the roots, and 

 neglect the Fettiica ovlna and Festuca rubra, which grow contiguous to it. It is present in most good 

 meadows and pastures, and, with F. ovlna, is the best for lawns. 



5708. The Festuca gldbra (r), and hordeiformis (d), greatly resemble the hard fescue, and may be con- 

 sidered equally desirable as pasture and lawn grasses. 



5709. The yellow oat grass v//vena flavt'scens) is very generally cultivated, and appears, from the Wobum 

 experiments, to be a very valuable grass for pasture on a clayey soil. 



5710. Of pasture grasses for inferior soils and upland situations, one of the principal is the Festuca 



ovina, or sheep's fescue 

 grass (Jig.liH. a). This 



\'9 §\ ritSETl 1 &\ -»S grass is peculiarly 



'«T I ^ V 5 !^ I V%&. adapted for hilly sheep 



\'SW I TzPJB.m odofA ill \Ar%J r*i p.stures. It is a low 



&^4 / %'~>> II £SAS 'rMC Ml ^(M^T 3 ^ dwarf grass, but re- 



li-hed by all kinds of 

 ^a cattle. According to 

 **- Sinclair's experience, 

 " on dry soils that are 

 incapable of producing 

 the larger sorts, this 

 should form the prin- 

 cipal crop, or rather 

 the whole ; for it is 

 seldom or never, in its 

 natural state, found 

 intimately mixed with 

 others, but bv itself. 



5711. The Vba alp'ma 

 (b), Alopeciirus a/p'i- 

 nus, and Aira ctvspi- 

 tbsa (c), Briza media 



(rf , and minima, and Agrn'stis hiimilii and vulgaris, arc all dwarf mountain grasses, well adapted for hilly 

 pai l.s 01 lawns. 



