568 



THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



belbre we knew, at most, only the vulgar or pro- 

 vincial names used in this particular region. It is 

 true, that the scientific names of most of the valu- 

 able culiivated grasses had been correctly deter- 

 mined belbre, and have been treated of in differ- 

 ent articles in this journal. Still, of some other 

 grasses and other plants, remarkable for good or 

 bad qualities, as much ignorance remained as to 

 names as in other respects. 



The few and irregular notices which we may 

 offer, (only in the absence of information from 

 others beuer qualified to aff'ord it,) will consist 

 merely of statements of such qualities and charac- 

 ters of the plants in question as are deemed inter- 

 esting or useful to be known to farmers, because 

 of the bearing on agriculture. And, even in these 

 respects, we may be expected to fall into many 

 and great errors, owing to mistakes, to the want 

 of suflicienily careful foregone observation, and 

 perhaps also from Ibrgetfulness of things Irom 

 which we have been almost entirely absent for 

 the last nine years. Therefore, we beg that our 

 own contributions to the work of fixing the no- 

 menclature and characters of grasses may be con- 

 sidered as both wanting and open to correction 

 li-ora other persons ; and we shall be gratified to 

 have knowledge on the subject extended by the 

 pointing out our mistakes of ignorance, if they 

 exist, as well as in any other way. 



For the botanical names, and for every scien- 

 tific fact, which may be used in our own contri- 

 butions, we shall be indebted to Mr. Tuomey. 

 The manner of our combined investigations was 

 this : His attention was requested to such parti- 

 cular grasses or weeds as information was most 

 needed upon,- and he gathered the specimens, if 

 they were to be Ibund so late in the season, (after 

 the 10th of September,) or if not already contain- 

 ed in his previously gathered collection of dried 

 specimens of grasses. Not having expected such 

 useliil and ready assistance, we had gathered but 

 very few earlier specimens; and not only for that 

 reason, but also for want of opportunity, and still 

 •more for want of the knowledge to distinguish 

 species with the absolute certainty necessary for 

 their selection. Indeed, upon such previous trials 

 as our scant opportunities off^ered in the summer, 

 we found uncertainty even as to particular speci- 

 mens of grasses, which we had long well known 

 as seen growing in quantity. And still another 

 difficulty we have but recently learned from Mr. 

 Tuomey, which we had not before suspected. 

 This is, that of some common grasses, which had 

 been supposed to be of but one kind, there are two 

 or more species or varieties, either of which (and 

 perhaps the least important of them) we might 

 have gathered, and lurnished to a botanist as the 

 only known grass of the kind. 



We should have been better pleased to follow 

 than to precede the first promised labors of Mr. 

 Curtis and others, for this general object. However, 

 we trust to have something from them before long. 

 In the mean time, the notices which we shall offer 

 will be presented as in continuation of the communi- 

 cation of Dr. Darlington, published at page 114 

 of this volume of the Farmers' Register. In 

 these remarks there will be no attempt at formal 

 and regular description; and in any others, from 

 other sources, there need be none. If Jacta are 

 presented, and errors corrected, it will be unim- 

 portant as to the Ibrm in which the infbrmation 

 may be presented. — Ed. Far. Reg. 



KOTICES OF GRASSES AND WEEDS. 



(Subject resumed, from p. 114 of Farmers' Register.) 

 WIRE GRASS. 



Synonymcs and provincial names. — Wire grass, in 

 lower Virijinia — Cane grass, in New Hanover, 

 N. C. — Joint grass — Bermuda grass, of Soutfi 

 Carolina? Botanical names given below. 



To ttie Editor of the Farmers' Register. 



The grass you pointed out to me as the " wire 

 grass" of lower Virginia is not the Triticum re- 

 pens of the botanists, but the Cynodon dactylon of 

 Persoon, the Digitaria dactylon of Elliott, and 

 Panicum dactylon of Linnseus. 



The Ibllovving description, from Eaton and 

 Wright's Botany, is very accurate. 



Cynodon. Glumes tvvo-valved, lanceolate, 

 spreading : paleee 2, longer than the glumes, the 

 outer valve larger, somewhat oval, and surround- 

 ing the inner one: rudiment minute, pedicelled : 

 scale truncate : spike digitate and fascicled : 

 flowers solitary. 



C. dactylon, creeping : spikes digitate (4-6) 

 spreading : keel of the glume scabrous : leaves 

 hairy on the margin antl base : sheaths hairy 

 (glabrous 1) 



The C. dactylon is a native of Cornwall, Eng- 

 land, the south ot Europe, the shores of the Le- 

 vant, the East Indies, and New South Wales, 

 Sir W. Jones, in his Asiatic Researches, mentions 

 the beauty ot its flowers, and its sweetness and 

 nutritious quality as pasture lor cattle. 



Dr. Darlington, p. 499, Farmers' Register, 

 classes the Cynodon dactylon among the grasses 

 valuable " in fixing and keeping together the 

 blowing sands of the sea-coast, by their creeping 

 suckers and tough entangled roots." He also 

 says, "The roots are employed in India in the 

 preparation of a peculiar beverage." Perhaps it 

 would be difficult to give a more concise and ac- 

 curate popular description of this plant, than the 

 one given by Dioscorides, who describes it as a 

 plant with "jointed creeping shoots, throwing 

 out sweet roots from their joints ; and pointed, 

 hard, broad leaves, like a small kind of reed, 

 which are the food of cattle."* The digitate 



* Rees' Cyclopcedia. Art. Panicum. 



