On Natural Grasses. 83 



Meadow barley-grass, Hordeum pratensc. 

 Crested dogstail grass, Cynosurus cristatus. 

 Hard fescue grass, Festuca duriuscula. 

 Rough-stalked meadow-grass, JPoa trivialis. 

 Smooth-stalked meadow-grass, Poa pratensis. 

 Woolly soft-grass, or Yorkshire fog, Holcus avenaceus. 

 Perennial red clover, Trifolium pratense perenne. 

 White or Dutch clover, Trifolium repens. 

 Yellow vetch or meadow vetchling, Lathyrus pratensis. 

 Smooth fescue, Festuca glabra. 



Those which vegetate with most vigour in autumn, and during open 

 winters, are, 



Creeping bent or florin, Agrostis slolonifera var. latifolia. 



Yarrow, Achillea millefolium. 



Couch or creeping wheat-grass, Triticum repens. 



There are other plants besides these, found more or less in natural 

 pastures, but, excepting the birdsfoot trefoil, Lotus corniculatus, But- 

 ter-cups, Ranunculus acris, and Ranunculus repens, Lamb's tongue 

 or rib grass, Plantago lanceolata, Saintfoin, Hedysarum onobry- 

 chis, or Onobrychis sativa, Burnet, Poterium sanguisorba, and Sorrel 

 dock, Rumex acetosa, they are either in such small proportions, or 

 of such small comparative value, or noxious as weeds, that their ex- 

 clusion from the permanent pasture seeds is proper. The saintfoin is 

 properly a plant for separate cultivation, on particular descriptions of 

 soils, chalky and loamy for instance ; the rib-grass for poor elevated 

 soils, where the superior grasses cannot attain perfection ; the birds- 

 foot clover for poor descriptions of soils, as dry sands or dry clays ; 

 the others are cumberers of the soil, and occupy the place of the 

 valuable grasses and clovers. It was before observed, that different 

 varieties of soils naturally produce, and will only continue to main- 

 tain, under judicious management, definite proportions of such of the 

 species of the essential grasses above enumerated as are adapted to 

 the soil. 



In siliceous, sandy soils, the Festuca duriuscula, glabra, ovina, 

 Agrostis vulgaris, tenuifolia, fascicularis, Holcus mollis, lanatus, 

 Cynosurus cristatus, and Poa pratensis, are in a larger proportion ; 

 while the Festuca pratensis, Dactylis ylomerata, Alopecurus pra- 

 tensis, Poa trivialis, Phleum pratense major, Anthoocanthum odora- 

 tum, Holcus avenaceus, and Lolium perenne var. are either altogether 

 wanting, or in local spots, in small quantity. When the soil is peaty, 

 but free of stagnant moisture by proper draining, and the peat of that 

 description called active peat moss, the Anthoxanthum odoratum, 

 Dactylis glomerata, Festuca pratensis, Poa trivialis, Alopecurus 

 pratensis, Cynosurus cristatus, Agrostis stolonifera var. latifolia, 

 and Holcus avenaceus, will be found to predominate, and with the 

 Lolium perenne var. will continue productive or permanent, on soils 

 of this nature, affording the most valuable crops, whether for hay or 

 for depasturing, this soil is capable of carrying. 



The most prevalent of the essential permanent pasture grasses, and 

 which continue in the soil, or are permanent in calcareous or chalky 



