96 On Natural Grasses. 



reproductive powers, late growth, and nutritive powers, would be 

 inconsistent with the design of this work. A perusal of those parti- 

 culars which we have stated, may be sufficient to prove, that to obtain 

 a permanent pasture of the best quality, equal to the best natural pas- 

 ture on a soil of the like quality, not two or three species, but many 

 different species of grasses are essential. 



The number of plants on a given space that are found in the rich- 

 est and most productive natural pastures, has been mentioned. The 

 number of seeds contained in any given weight or measure of these 

 seeds, will shew the number of plants that ought to be produced by 

 sowing certain quantities per acre. These calculations have been 

 made *, and the following proportions of the essential grasses are cal- 

 culated for six acres of a soil of the best quality : 



Dactylis glomerate^ Cocksfoot, - 2 bushels 



Festuca pratensis, Meadow fescue, ^ & >i: - 2 do. 



Alopecurus pratensis, Meadow foxtail, 2 do. 



Poa trivialis, Rough stalked meadow-grass, - 2 do. 



Hotcus avenaceus, Tall oat-like soft -grass, - - \ do. 



Phleum pratense major, Larger meadow catstail or 



Timothy, ,,>.-,; i (i ,W 15 Ibs. 



Festuca duriuscula, Hard fescue, 1 bushel 



Cynosurus cristatus, Crested dogstail, .;'. - 1 do. 



Poa nervata, Nerved meadow-grass, - - - \ do. 



Poa nemoralisy var. angustifolia, Narrow-leaved wood 



meadow-grass, - . ; ^/ . r ,- 1 do. 



Poa angustifolia, Narrow-leaved meadow-grass, - % do. 



Agrostis stolonifera, var. lalifolia, Broad-leaved bent or 



florin, - ni"hu - J do. 



Lolium perenne var., Best variety of perennial rye-grass, 1 do. 



Anthoxanthum odoratum, Sweet-scented vernal-grass, | do. 



Trifolium repens, White or Dutch clover, - 15 Ibs. 



Trifolium pratense perenne, Perennial red clover, or Cow- 

 grass of the shops, ;v,,! ~ ? '*. * J bushel 



Vicia sepium, Creeping vetch, , ti r . .*. Hi <r j, g do. 



Achillea millefolium, Yarrow, :v .,_, J . : .], ;IM , 4 Ibs. 



amounting to about 15 bushels for six acres. The seeds of the different 

 grasses vary much in size, and consequently in the number of plants 

 which any given measure will afford when sown ; hence it is, that when 

 the smaller seeded grasses prevail in the mixture, the measure of seed 

 per acre, is less, than when the larger seeded grasses predominate. To 

 state the various combinations of grasses, required for all the different 

 varieties of soil, without minute details of the chemical properties and 

 constitution of such soils, so that they could be always identified, with- 

 out fear of mistaking one for another, would be more likely to lead to 

 error, than to guide with certainty, the practical operations of the far- 

 mer. We shall therefore only add another example, of a mixture for 

 a light sandy soil of inferior quality. 



See Hortus Gramincus Woburnensis. 



