CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 337 



20. Sheep's Fescue Grass. 



Sheep's fescue grass, Festuca ovina, is one of the smallest 

 grasses, growing on dry, light, and elevated grounds. It is en- 

 tirely an herbage plant, and is only referred to here because 

 some botanists have spoken of it with approbation. It is a 

 grass, however, which there can be no possible object in intro- 

 ducing and cultivating in arable soils in this country; as it is 

 the interest of the farmer to stock his pastures with the best 

 grasses which they are capable of producing. 



21. Meadow Fescue Grass. 



This plant, Festuca pratensis, although but little cultivated, 

 has found its way into all our best meadows and pastures 

 amongst us. In England it takes high rank among the supe- 

 rior grasses. Its root is perennial and fibrous; leaves succu- 

 lent, and readily eaten by cattle. It is less suited to the new 

 system of alternate tillage than some other of the grasses, as it 

 requires a much longer time to arrive at maturity. 



It is an early perennial and very hardy grass thriving with uncommon 

 luxuriance in almost every soil, producing very sweet herbage, which is eaten 

 with avidity by every sort of cattle, making excellent hay, and producing abun- 

 dance of seed, which may be easily gathered. It bears a very great resem- 

 blance to the rye grass, to which it is in many respects greatly superior, at least 

 for forming or improving meadows; as it is much longer, and more productive 

 of foliage. It flowers about the middle of June.- The Complete (English) Gra- 

 zier, sixth, edition, p. 489. 



22. Floating Fescue Grass. 



This plant, Festuca fluitans, delights in very wet grounds; 

 it is often found in rich swamps, bogs, ditches, and ponds; it is 

 singular in its habit, growing as well probably in as out of the 

 water. It flowers in June. Horses and cows especially are 

 very fond of it, and it is said that the very superior excellence 

 of the Cottenham and Chedler cheese is owing to this grass, as 

 it imparts a rich and peculiar flavour to the milk of cows fed 

 mainly upon it. It springs early, and is recommended for 

 newly reclaimed morasses, swamps, bogs, and lands recovered 

 from the sea. It is a native of America. This plant is proba- 

 bly the same as the floating meadow grass. CURTIS says it is 

 greedily devoured by every species of stock, not excepting 

 hogs and ducks, and geese eagerly devour the seeds, which are 

 small, but very sweet and nourishing. 



