50 



LoUum Perenne — Rye-Grass. 



Vol. XI. 



and thus made a " book farmer" of, &c., — 

 but stands ready to receive any information 

 that may be of advantage to him, and to 

 communicate to his fellow labourers the re- 

 sults of his own experiments. 



Therefore, I would advise every gentle 

 reader, not to settle down under the errone- 

 ous impression, that he is too old to receive 

 anything new — that he can conduct his own 

 agricultural affairs to the best advantage 

 without any information, further than that 

 derived from his own labours. I believe it 

 is not always best to pursue the same old 

 course, undeviatingly, year after year, with- 

 out any regard for the experience of others. 

 Agriculture has not yet been brought to 

 such a state of perfection as not to be sus- 

 ceptible of great improvements: therefore 

 let every one be on the alert, doing all in 

 his power towards the advancement of his 

 honourable and dignified calling. I call it 

 honourable and dignified, because such is 

 certainly the case. What occupation is 

 there to be found more honourable or more 

 independent than that of the farmer — the 

 proprietor of the soil of an enlightened na- 

 tion—he who earns his own bread by the 

 sweat of his brow] The question needs no 

 answer — it is self-evident. 



D. H. 



Trenton, N. J. 



We are not disposed to branch off into a broad lec- 

 ture on political economy, or to meddle much with the 

 vexed questions connected with it; but the last sen- 

 tence or two of our correspondent, above, reminds us 

 of what we have long believed to be the fact, viz: that 

 we are not accustomed to view the farmer's independ- 

 ence of other occupations in quite so strong a light as 

 the case will justify. Who, indeed, so independent as 

 he? Do not all manufactures and trade of every kind, 

 depend entirely upon the labours of the farmer? or 

 perhaps more properly, upon the surplus produce of 

 bis labours? If we take an isolated community of 

 farmers, and suppose their labours to produce from the 

 earth no more than sufficient to satisfy their own 

 wants, where can the manufacturer and the merchant 

 operate? The surplus of the earth beyond the wants 

 of the producer, is what feeds all others: the farmer 

 must first be fed, before he will purchase of others, and 

 feed them. Let him keep out of debt, and though he 

 may not get rich, he can scarcely help living, in spite 

 of tariffs and monopolies. Yet, such is the beautiful 

 connection of one calling with another, that the 

 farmer cannot be prosperous and flourishing, while 

 manufacturers and traders are depressed, for these 

 purchase his surplus^ produce — neither can these latter 

 long subsist, if the short crops of the farmer give him 

 nothing to spare, with which to purchase their wares. 

 Jf short crops yii Id no more than barely to feed the 

 producer, how can the city subsist? — Ed. 



Salt or brine, is good for tiie Plum tree, 

 Asparagus, and Onions. 



liolium Perenne~Rye-Grass. 



Enquiries have sometimes been made of us, respect- 

 ing the Rye-gr4ss, which is to be met with occasionally 

 in our grass plots, and in our fields. The following is 

 taken from Parnell's Grasses of Scotland, and may be 

 valuable to some of our readers. — Ed. 



Specific Characters. — Florets not awned. 

 Glume shorter than the spikelet. 



Description. — It grows from fifteen inches 

 to two feet high. The root is perennial, 

 fibrous. Stem erect, round, smooth, and 

 finely striated, bearing six or seven leaves 

 with smooth striated sheaths; the upper 

 sheath longer than its leaf, crowned with a 

 short obtuse ligule; the lower sheaths short- 

 er than their leaves. Joints four or five, 

 smooth, often purplish, the first and second 

 rather remote. Leaves dark green, lanceo- 

 late, acute, flat, smooth on the outer surface, 

 and roughish on the inner. Inflorescence 

 spiked. Spike compressed, erect or slightly 

 curved, about one-third the length of the 

 stem ; rachis smooth. Spikelets sessile, ar- 

 ranged on the rachis alternately in two 

 rows; of six to twelve awnless florets. Ca- 

 lyx of one glume of an oblong-lanceolate 

 form, smooth, and five-ribbed ; situated on 

 the outer side, and shorter than the spikelet. 

 Florets of two palese, the outer palea of low- 

 ermost floret shorter than the glume, smooth, 

 five-x\hheA, membranoui?, and entire at the 

 summit. Inner palca linear-lanceolate, 

 equal in length to the outer palea, with two 

 green marginal ribs delicately fringed. Fil^ 

 aments slender, shorter than the palea. An- 

 thers cloven at each end. Germen obtuse. 

 Styles very short. Stigmas featherly along 

 the upper side. Seed elliptic-oblong, chan- 

 neled in front. 



Of Lolium perenne there are a great 

 number of varieties known to farmeis by 

 various appellations ; all more or less valu- 

 able for agricultural purposes, viz: Slender 

 rye-grass, Broad spiked rye-grass, Pacey^s 

 rye-grass, RusselVs grass, Whitworlh'' s 

 grass, Slickney''s grass, Panicled rye- 

 grass, Doitble-floivered-rye-grass, Vivipa- 

 rous rye-grass, be.sides a great number of 

 others, amounting to at least seventy varie- 

 ties. Mr. Sinclair states, that there has 

 been much difference of opinion respecting 

 the merits and comparative value of rye- 

 grass. It produces an abundance of seed, 

 which is easily collected, and readily vege- 

 tates on most kinds of soils, under circum- 

 stances of different management. It soon 

 arrives at perfection, and produces in its first 

 years of growth a good supply of early herb- 

 age, which is mucli liked by cattle: but the 

 after-crop of rye-grass is very inconsider- 



