230 CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 



lightly harrowed. If mixed with clover it will make uncommon good upland 

 meadow. 



6. Yellow Oat Grass. 



The yellow oat grass, *ftvena flavescens, thrives in meadows 

 and pastures, and on hills, in calcareous soils, where it flowers 

 in June or July. Though sweet, it is an inferior grass. The 

 late Dr. WITHERING has asserted that it is less relished by 

 cattle than the poa and fescue grasses; though Mr. SWAYNE 

 thinks it one of the best grasses for cattle.* Mr. CURTIS says 

 it promises to make good sheep pastures.! Sir HUMPHREY 

 DAVY confirms this opinion, and says that it nearly doubles 

 the quantity of its produce by the application of calcareous 

 manure. 



7. Rye Grass. 



The Perennial darnel, or rye grass, is regarded in the 

 north of England, and in Scotland, as one of the most im- 

 portant of the gramineous herbage plants. According to Low, 

 it is more generally cultivated in Europe than either of the 

 other herbage plants. This is owing to its early maturity, its 

 wide range of temperature and soils, and to the abundance and 

 facility with which it is raised from the seed. However valu- 

 able the rye grass from these qualities, it wants certain proper- 

 ties which others of the grasses possess, and a good permanent 

 meadow, therefore, will best be procured by imitating the 

 natural process of mixing grasses together. In this manner, the 

 different kinds coming into flower at different pdriods of the 

 year, will better afford a succession of herbage throughout the 

 season. There are many more great advantages arising from 

 a judicious mixture of grass seeds, and sowing the same bounti- 

 fully, which will be noticed hereafter. 



The characters of this plant are greatly modified by the 

 effects of climate, soil and culture; and it may be owing to one, 

 or perhaps to all these circumstances combined, with a slight 

 admixture of prejudice, that it has fallen into disrepute among 

 our farmers. This grass has been too much neglected, and we 

 entertain no doubt, that with proper attention, it may be made 

 to enter far more prominently into our system of agriculture 

 than it has heretofore, and with decided profit. Perhaps one 

 reason why it has been almost wholly neglected is, that it has 

 lacked the sanction of great names. This is wrong. Every 



* Gramina Pascua. t Curtis on Grasses,' p. 18. 



