AGRICULTURE. 



AGROSTIS. 





Germany 1,546,976 



Sweden 36,129 



Denmark and Norway .. 5,640=1,588,645 



France 208,063 



Italy 11,302 



Switzerland 37,732 



Spain 16,245 



British America 117,142 



China, (in California al- 

 most exclusively,) ... 41,443 



All other countries, or 



unknown 291,558= 723,485 



5,062,414 



The increase of the whole population of the 

 United States in the seven decades, from 1790 

 to 1860, is very nearly at the rate of 33 per 

 cent, for 10 years. 



Though a very few years have elapsed since 

 the hitherto almost mythic land of California 

 came into possession of those capable of de- 

 veloping its extraordinary resources, surpris- 

 ing progress has already been made. To say 

 nothing of its almost infinite mineral wealth, 

 its agricultural advantages are incalculable, 

 and the cereal products are perhaps eclipsed 

 by those of its fruit-growing capacities. Es- 

 pecially is its soil and climate adapted to the 

 vine and the production of wines, which even 

 now rival the best vintages of Europe, and 

 will doubtless soon eclipse them in the markets 

 of the world. They are recommended not only 

 by their general purity and grateful qualities, 

 but by their being more readily digested and 

 freed from excess of acids and other offensive 

 qualities which often render European wines 

 irritating and unwholesome. This remark is 

 particularly applicable to the Sonoma hocks, 

 and to the Angelica and other wines of Los 

 Angelos. Some of the red wines, misnamed 

 Port, rival the Burgundy and Hermitage of 

 Southern France in their rich violet bou- 

 quet. 



AGROSTIS. The bent grass. An exten- 

 sive genus of grasses, which from their gen- 

 eral character of thriving best on marshy or 

 wet soils, are of comparatively little value to 

 the farmer. In America they have obtained 

 little notice ; but in England they are often 

 made of considerable account, and the follow- 

 ing varieties are noticed. 



Agrostis alba, or white bent, smaller than 

 other varieties, with roots difficult to extir- 

 pate in clay soils. Late, unproductive, and 

 but little nutritive. A great exhauster of the 

 soil. . 



Agrostis canina, var. mutica. A useless va- 

 riety of brown bent, or Creeping-stalked brown 

 bent. Common in deep bogs. A diminutive 

 plant. Worthless. 



Agrostis canina capillaris. Fine-panacled 

 brown bent, or tufted bent. Common in old 

 pastures, or poor and moist clay soils. Called 

 winter fog, in England. Of no value. 



Agrostis lobata. Lobed, or sea-side bent. 



Agrostis nivea. Snowy bent, or straw-col- 

 ored bent grass. 



Agrostis Palustris, or marsh-bent. See Fio- 

 EEN GRASS and AGROSTIS STOLONIFERA, p. 577. 



Agrostis Mexicana. Naturalized in England, 



where it grows best in calcareous and clay 

 soils. Hardy, but without superior nutritious 

 properties. 



Agrostis ramorissinta, lateral-branching bent 

 grass. Nearly allied to the A. Mexicana. Re- 

 markable for the number of branches that 

 issue from its joints, and woody nature of its 

 stem. 



Agrostis repens, creeping rooted bent, or 

 white bent. This is a species of couch trrass 

 very difficult to eradicate, the roots striking 

 deeper than the plough, and shooting up from 

 the least particle left in the ground. Hiind- 

 picking is the most effectual means of de- 

 struction. 



The Agrostis stolonifera, (var. Latifolia,} or 

 long-leaved creeping bent, or fioren, is repre- 

 sented in Plate No. X. of the Hay-grasses, n. 



It appears to be much superior in point of 

 productiveness and nutritive qualities to the 

 other varieties of Agrostis stolonifera, from 

 which it differs so little in appearance as to 

 make it difficult to discriminate between them. 

 This variety appears to be confined to rich old 

 pasture land, whilst the others are found in 

 different soils, the clays, light sands, moors, 

 bogs, marshes, bottoms of ponds and ditches, 

 etc. 



Several years ago the Agrostis stoloni- 

 fera was introduced into England by Dr. Wil- 

 liam Richardson, under the name of Fio- 

 ren. He published an account setting forth 

 its characteristics, with experiments showing 

 its nutritive qualities, from which it would 

 appear to be a valuable grass for some situa- 

 tions, at least in the moist climates of England 

 and Ireland, 



The variety which has been called by bota- 

 nists Agrostis vulgaris, is common in fields 

 laying out in grass, and has doubtless given 

 the name to the genera, derived from the Greek 

 WordPro, 1 ?, a field. The well-known Herds, or 

 Red-top of the Middle and Northern States be- 

 long to this family, and has received the name 

 of Foul Meadow Grass from the difficulty with 

 which it is eradicated when it has once ob- 

 tained a footing. 



Another variety is called White-top. 



There has been much prejudice existing 

 against the different species of Agrostis in gene- 

 ral ; but let the proprietor of a rich ancient 

 pasture divest a part of it of this grass entirely, 

 and the value of the plant will be demonstrated 

 in the comparative loss of late and early herb- 

 age. The cock's foot grass is superior to the 

 larger variety of the creeping bent, in the pro- 

 portion nearly of 1 1 to 9. The meadow fescue 

 is also superior to florin in nearly the like pro- 

 portion as cock's foot. The meadow fox-tail grass 

 is inferior to florin in the proportion nearly of 

 6 to 7. When cultivated separately, for the 

 purpose of green food or hay, florin requires to 

 be kept perfectly clear of weeds, its couchant 

 habit of growth affording great encouragement 

 for the health of upright growing plants 

 under this circumstance, weeds. It flowers in 

 England about the second and third weeks of 

 July, and the seed is ripe about the second and 

 third weeks of August. The mo<ie of convert* 

 ing florin into hay, duting the winter months, 

 is amply detailed in Dr. Richardson's publica- 

 tions on Florin. Full information will there 



